Including the maternal and infant needs in preparedness and sheltering: A case study emphasizing Hurricanes Ida and Ian

Abstract

Disasters pose significant and unique challenges for prenatal and postpartum women and birthing people along with their families, particularly within the immediate response and recovery timeframe. In this study, data pertaining to barriers and needs post-storm were collected from prenatal and postpartum mothers affected by Hurricanes Ida and Ian in 2021 and 2022, respectively. First, following the landfall of Hurricane Ida, researchers employed a systematic social media approach to gather data from families with infants under the age of 2 who had been impacted by the storm. After Hurricane Ian made landfall, researchers used a rapid-ethnographic approach to conduct both in-person and virtual data collection to similarly investigate the experiences and issues facing families with infants under the age of 2 at the time of this storm. Across the two deployments for data collection, data were gathered from 167 respondents through online surveys, in-person interviews, or virtual interviews. This mixed-methods approach allowed researchers to gather integral data surrounding the challenges mothers and their families faced during Hurricanes Ida and Ian, especially when co-occurring crises were taking place, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and nationwide formula shortages. Contextual information was gathered through fieldwork observations regarding evacuation decision-making, unsafe feeding practices, and the lack of support for vulnerable populations, including prenatal and postpartum mothers, during disasters. This study highlights the needs prenatal and postpartum women and families have at times of disasters, the various ways that they may be vulnerable to adverse outcomes. Implications include potential policies and interventions to support these families in disasters.