The 2025 Georgetown University Perinatal Symposium: Reimagining Perinatal Care to Promote Health Equity

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Introduction and Purpose: The perinatal period is a crucial time for the health and well-being of pregnant, birthing, and postpartum individuals, infants, families, and their communities. However, deep structural and social inequities, including racism and other forms of discrimination, impact access to, utilization of, and quality of perinatal care. These inequities contribute to worsening maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the United States, particularly among historically oppressed communities. To meet the critical health needs of pregnant capable individuals and address the root causes of inequities and their associated adverse outcomes, perinatal care models must be transformed. Recognizing this urgent need, the first Georgetown University Reimagining Perinatal Care to Promote Health Equity Symposium was held in Washington, DC, convening over 50 perinatal health, policy, and reproductive justice experts. Methods: We held a public panel discussion with four speakers on how perinatal care could be reimagined to advance reproductive justice. We summarized key takeaways from the discussion, which coalesced into six themes. We established eight writing groups by area of expertise. The experts worked collaboratively during the event to generate ideas and initiate writing projects. We summarized the discussion and findings from each group. In the current sociopolitical environment, a summary of symposium participants’ concerns of what perinatal health and reproductive justice leaders have lost and what we can reimagine are described. Results/Conclusion: Actionable steps to advance health equity in perinatal care are outlined, including a radical reimagination and transformation of perinatal care delivery rooted in reproductive justice, health equity, interdisciplinary engagement, and community support.