title: Maternity Leave Access and Health: A Systematic Narrative Review and Conceptual Framework Development.
abstract: Background Maternity leave is integral to postpartum maternal and child health, providing necessary time to heal and bond following birth. However, the relationship between maternity leave and health outcomes has not been formally and comprehensively assessed to guide public health research and policy in this area. This review aims to address this gap by investigating both the correlates of maternity leave utilization in the US and the related health benefits for mother and child. Methods We searched the peer-reviewed scholarly literature using six databases for the years 1990 to early 2015 and identified 37 studies to be included in the review. We extracted key data for each of the included studies and assessed study quality using the "Weight of the Evidence" approach. Results The literature generally confirms a positive, though limited correlation between maternity leave coverage and utilization. Likewise, longer maternity leaves are associated with improved breastfeeding intentions and rates of initiation, duration and predominance as well as improved maternal mental health and early childhood outcomes. However, the literature points to important disparities in access to maternity leave that carry over into health outcomes, such as breastfeeding. Synthesis We present a conceptual framework synthesizing what is known to date related to maternity leave access and health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: George Washington University, 3/F, 5G Bowen Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong. eandres@gwu.edu.
authors.forename: Ellie
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4795-4867
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.affiliation: George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave, NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.affiliation: George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey Bart
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bingenheimer
authors.affiliation: George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
authors.forename: Anne Rossier
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Markus
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016524:Parental Leave; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors; D014931:Women, Working
keywords: Breastfeeding; Child health; Maternal mental health; Maternity leave