Poster Session 1 – 2025

Maternal and neonatal health care disparities continue to persist in the United States, particularly among Latino/Hispanic patients, even in local healthcare settings. Contributing factors such as language barriers, physical anatomical differences, cultural practices, and U.S. standards of care result in inequitable health outcomes. In this research project, I explored these disparities as well as solutions to enhance healthcare access and quality for Latino/Hispanic maternal, obstetric, and neonatal patients. This included translating NICU documents and signage into Spanish to enhance communication and promote equitable care. Through interviews with local clinicians and healthcare staff, along with a review of existing literature, I investigated common disparities and barriers to effective care. Findings highlight the underutilization of interpreting services due to cost and time constraints and a lack of consideration for unique physiological and cultural differences, including birth weight classifications and neonatal feeding practices. These disparities can lead to miscommunication, inadequate patient education, and poorer health outcomes, such as delayed medical interventions, decreased prenatal care engagement, and higher rates of preventable adverse events. Addressing these issues requires systemic changes to the healthcare system, including increased use of interpreting services, translated material, alterations in standardized care markers to adapt to these populations, and culturally competent care models. Future steps include advocating for healthcare policies that prioritize language accessibility, expanding provider training on cultural considerations in maternal and neonatal care, and conducting further research on effective interventions to promote equitable care and improved health outcomes for Latino/Hispanic mothers and their newborns.