Giving birth can be beautiful, difficult, exciting … the list goes on and on. A new study funded by Columbia University found that, for some new moms, the experience can also be frustrating and demoralizing.

More than one in eight new mothers (13.4%) told researchers that while giving birth in 2020, they experienced mistreatment by health care clinicians in some form, according to the report. The most common complaint was being “ignored, refused request for help, or fail to respond in a timely manner.”

About 4.1% of respondents said they were “shouted at or scolded” by health care clinicians. A smaller percentage, 2.3%, said clinicians threatened to withhold treatment, or forced them to accept treatment they didn’t want.

The data was collected from 4,598 new mothers across 6 states: Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia plus New York City.

Researchers found that the highest rate of mistreatment occurred among women who were: unmarried; Medicaid insured; identified as LGBTQ; obese; had a history of substance or mood disorders, as well as those who had an unplanned C-section.

They also found that rates of mistreatment varied widely by race and ethnicity. The highest rate of mistreatment reported was from new moms who are Southwest Asian, Middle Eastern or North African (33.7%) followed by: multiracial mothers (16.9%); Black mothers (15.9%); white mothers (13.3%); Native American or Alaskan Native mothers (12.5%) Asian mothers (11.5%); and Hispanic mothers (10.8%).

The study authors say they had limitations including findings that may not be generalized to the entire U.S. and that all variables are self-reported.

Disparities in Mistreatment During Childbirth was published April 4, 2024 in JAMA Network Open medical journal.