Natural Disaster Epidemiology and Reproductive Health

Purpose of ReviewTo examine epidemiologic concepts related to research conducted on reproductive health after disaster, summarize the current state of the literature on how disaster affects reproductive health, and report on interventions to mitigate disaster outcomes.Recent FindingsMany disaster epidemiologic studies of pregnancy rely on vital statistics. Issues like timeliness of research, migration of affected communities, and convenience sampling are important to consider in research design and interpretation. The few interventions in pregnant populations after disaster focus on mental health, with mixed results.SummaryDisaster research intrinsically has challenges due to the disruption that disasters pose to communities. Disasters' effects on fertility and infant outcomes like preterm birth and low birthweight have been well-studied, generally indicating negative effects. Research gaps exist relative to hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and miscarriage. Interventions centered around preventing negative reproductive health outcomes in post-disaster settings are few.