Most individuals understand it is not secure to smoke or drink alcohol whereas pregnant, and most know that how properly a pregnant individual takes care of their well being impacts the well being of their child. However do they know what vaccines are advisable for pregnant folks by the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC)?

Whereas a lot of the general public is accustomed to some details about staying wholesome throughout being pregnant and having a wholesome child, there are substantial gaps in information about maternal well being, in line with new survey information from the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart (APPC) of the College of Pennsylvania. The findings come amid a maternal well being disaster in the US, which has the very best maternal mortality price of any developed nation, greater than double the speed of peer international locations, in line with the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers.

As well as, the survey, carried out practically a 12 months after the federal authorities launched the brand new 988 Suicide and Disaster Lifeline, finds that simply 10% of the general public is aware of the quantity.

“The Suicide Lifeline’s capacity to avoid wasting lives presupposes that these in want know the 988 quantity,” mentioned APPC Director Kathleen Corridor Jamieson, who directs the survey. “We have to redouble our efforts so as to add 988 to the numbers everybody has at hand.”

The survey, carried out with a nationally consultant panel of 1,601 U.S. adults from Might 31-June 6, 2023, finds:

• Simply over 1 in 4 folks (27%) know that the CDC recommends that pregnant people get a Tdap vaccine .
• Simply over half of these surveyed know that getting vaccinated in opposition to Covid-19 throughout being pregnant is secure (52%) and that getting vaccinated in opposition to Covid-19 can scale back the chance of issues from the illness (55%) that may have an effect on a being pregnant.
• Solely 1 / 4 of these surveyed (26%) know {that a} pregnant one that will get the flu is at increased threat of delivering the newborn early.
• Practically 3 in 4 folks (73%) know that having untreated hypertension will increase the chance {that a} pregnant individual could have a stroke.

APPC’s Annenberg Science and Public Well being Information survey

The survey information come from the 11^th wave of a nationally consultant panel of 1,601 U.S. adults, first empaneled in April 2021, carried out for the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart by SSRS, an unbiased market analysis firm. This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Well being Information (ASAPH) survey was fielded Might 31-June 6, 2023. It has a margin of sampling error (MOE) of ± 3.3 proportion factors on the 95% confidence stage. Survey information on public information about RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, was beforehand launched. See the topline for query wording.

Obtain and .

Vaccinations and being pregnant

Requested which vaccinations the CDC recommends people get throughout being pregnant, majorities know that the CDC doesn’t suggest a chickenpox or measles vaccine, that are stay virus vaccines:

• 87% know that the CDC doesn’t suggest the chickenpox vaccine
• 85% know that the CDC doesn’t suggest a measles shot
• However 73% incorrectly mentioned the CDC doesn’t suggest a vaccine for whooping cough often called Tdap throughout being pregnant – actually, the CDC does suggest the whooping cough vaccine throughout being pregnant, as 27% know.

Each the Tdap vaccine in opposition to whooping cough and the flu shot are inactivated vaccines and are advisable by the CDC throughout every being pregnant. Throughout being pregnant, the CDC recommends the flu shot, not the stay attenuated vaccine often called LAIV or nasal spray.

Pure immunity: Two-thirds of these surveyed (67%) know it’s false to say that as a result of infants are born with pure immunity, they do not must be vaccinated in opposition to childhood sicknesses till they’re more likely to be uncovered to them. However one-third of these surveyed assume both that that is true (17%) or will not be certain (16%).

The flu and being pregnant

In a sequence of true-or-false questions:

• Just one in 4 folks (26%) know {that a} pregnant one that will get the flu is at increased threat of delivering the newborn early. About the identical quantity (27%) assume that’s false. Practically half of these surveyed (46%) will not be certain.
• Solely half of these surveyed (52%) know it’s true {that a} flu shot protects pregnant folks and their infants from severe well being issues each throughout and after being pregnant.

Covid-19 and being pregnant

The CDC says that pregnant folks “usually tend to get severely in poor health with Covid-19 in contrast with non-pregnant folks.” The CDC says pregnant folks “can obtain a Covid-19 vaccine” and that getting the vaccine throughout being pregnant can forestall a person from getting severely in poor health from Covid-19. The survey discovered that:

• Over half (55%) know it’s false to say that Covid-19 vaccination impacts a pair’s probabilities of getting pregnant, however 15% incorrectly assume it’s true and 30% will not be certain.
• Just one in 5 folks (22%) know it’s true that Covid-19 vaccines may cause “a small, short-term enhance within the size of a vaccinated individual’s menstrual cycle,” whereas 17% incorrectly say it’s false and most of the people (61%) are uncertain.
• Simply over half of these surveyed (52%) know that Covid-19 vaccination throughout being pregnant is secure, whereas 22% incorrectly assume it’s false and 26% will not be certain.
• Simply over half (55%) know that getting a Covid-19 vaccine can scale back the chance of Covid-19 issues that may have an effect on a being pregnant, whereas 17% incorrectly say that is false and 28% will not be certain.
• Simply over half (56%) know that Covid-19 vaccination throughout being pregnant is efficient at minimizing the probabilities of hospitalization with Covid-19, whereas 25% will not be certain and 19% say it’s false.
• Over 1 in 3 folks know (36%) that getting a Covid-19 vaccine throughout being pregnant can defend an toddler from beginning to 6 months of age from Covid-related hospital stays. However 23% assume that is false and 41% will not be certain.

Different maternal well being dangers

A lot of these surveyed are conscious of sure well being dangers:

• 73% know that untreated hypertension will increase the chance that somebody who’s pregnant could have a stroke, although 21% say they don’t seem to be certain and 6% incorrectly assume it’s false.
• 78% know that pregnant folks must be examined for diabetes, although 16% will not be certain and 6% incorrectly assume it’s false. In accordance with the CDC, from 1 in 50 to 1 in 20 pregnant girls has gestational diabetes, which generally doesn’t go away after supply or can return as sort 2 diabetes.
• 90% know that how properly an individual takes care of their well being earlier than getting pregnant impacts the well being of their child.
• 92% know that how properly an individual takes care of their well being throughout their being pregnant impacts the well being of their child.

Smoking and consuming alcohol

After years of warnings concerning the risks of smoking, many within the public are educated concerning the potential harms throughout being pregnant:

• 72% know that smoking throughout being pregnant will increase the probabilities that the newborn shall be born early, although 18% will not be certain and 10% assume that is false.
• 83% know that smoking throughout being pregnant will increase the probabilities that the newborn could have beginning defects, although 9% will not be certain and eight% assume that is false.
• 85% know it’s false to say that consuming wine or beer whereas pregnant is secure although 8% say that is true and 6% will not be certain.

Smoking and SIDS: Fewer individuals are conscious of the connection between smoking and sudden toddler dying syndrome, or SIDS. Simply over half (52%) know that smoking within the house of a child will increase the probabilities that the newborn will die from sudden toddler dying syndrome, whereas 30% will not be certain and 18% say that is false.

Smoking and beginning weight: Requested what impact smoking throughout being pregnant would probably have on a child’s weight at beginning, most (76%) mentioned it will increase the probabilities that the smoker’s child shall be underweight at beginning, in contrast with those that assume it will increase the probabilities the newborn shall be obese (2%) or haven’t any impact on the newborn’s weight (2%). Twenty p.c weren’t certain.

Ingesting and being pregnant: Requested which assertion is most correct, 65% know that somebody who needs to get pregnant ought to cease consuming alcohol earlier than being pregnant and never drink throughout being pregnant – in contrast with 25% who say somebody who needs to get pregnant ought to cease consuming as quickly as they study they’re pregnant, 4% who say somebody who needs to get pregnant ought to restrict their alcohol consumption whereas pregnant to 2 drinks a day, and 6% who will not be certain. The CDC says somebody who’s making an attempt to get pregnant may already be pregnant, so “one of the best recommendation is for girls to cease consuming alcohol once they begin making an attempt to get pregnant.”

Being pregnant well being care

Folic acid: Most of these surveyed know that pregnant folks ought to take nutritional vitamins : 76% know that people who’re or could turn out to be pregnant ought to take a day by day vitamin that accommodates folic acid, which is a B vitamin, although 21% will not be certain and three% say it’s false. The CDC for people who find themselves pregnant.

Being pregnant weight achieve: Requested which is probably the most correct assertion about weight achieve for an individual of “regular weight” throughout being pregnant, 45% appropriately say a achieve of between 25 and 35 kilos; 24% say a achieve of between 5 and 10 kilos; 26% will not be certain; and 5% say “strive to not achieve weight throughout being pregnant.” The CDC says 25 to 35 kilos is the advisable weight achieve for an individual of regular weight.

Advantages from breastfeeding: 71% know it is most correct to say that each the breastfed child and father or mother, versus 17% who say it advantages the newborn, 1% who say it is the father or mother and 1% neither. The CDC says breastfeeding advantages each child and father or mother.

Placing a new child to sleep

Find out how to put a child all the way down to sleep: 61% appropriately say a brand new child must be put all the way down to sleep on its again, 12% say on its aspect, 12% say on its abdomen, and 15% will not be certain. The CDC recommends placing a child to sleep on its again.

Keep away from gentle bedding: The CDC recommends conserving “gentle bedding similar to blankets, pillows, bumper pads, and gentle toys out of their child’s sleep space…” however a lot of these surveyed will not be conscious of this. Requested which of the next must be stored out of a child’s sleep space:

• 72% say that pillows must be stored out of a child’s sleep space
• 69% say gentle toys
• 54% say gentle bedding similar to blankets
• 43% say bumper pads

Psychological well being: The 988 suicide lifeline

The Annenberg survey additionally sought to find out whether or not the general public had turn out to be accustomed to the brand new three-digit Suicide and Disaster Lifeline, 988, launched in July 2022. Practically a 12 months after its introduction, nevertheless, the survey discovered that solely 20% of these surveyed mentioned they knew the quantity – and when requested to offer it, simply over half that group might achieve this, or 10% of the whole.

This discovering will not be statistically completely different from January 2023, 4 and a half months earlier, when 9% might present the quantity – suggesting that there was little progress in familiarizing the general public with a vitally essential suicide-prevention useful resource.

In contrast, 86% of the general public is aware of to dial the quantity 911 when somebody is experiencing a well being emergency.

The topline with information from this wave of the survey is .