Abstract Objective To examine associations between the 2024 South Brazilian flood and postpartum obstetric and maternal mental health outcomes. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited 274 postpartum women 8–12 months after the flood at two tertiary hospitals in Porto Alegre, Brazil. We focused on three disaster-related exposures: (1) need for financial assistance due to the flood; (2) housing displacement or damage due to the flood; and (3) delivery within nine months after the flood (already pregnant at the time of the disaster). Results Financial and housing exposures were associated with higher odds of perinatal posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (OR = 6.7; 95% CI: 2.4–18.4 and OR = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.2–10.2, respectively) and receipt of mental health care due to the flood (OR = 6.5; 95% CI: 2.3–18.6 and OR = 5.8; 95% CI: 2.1–15.9), whereas only financial exposure was associated with perinatal depression symptoms (OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.03–6.6). Delivery within nine months after the disaster was associated with low birth weight (OR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.03–7.4), gestational preeclampsia (OR = 3.4; 95% CI: 1.32–8.88), and missed prenatal appointments due to the flood (OR = 9.9; 95% CI: 2.4–39.8). Women exposed to financial or housing losses reported greater material and infrastructural disruptions, while those who delivered within nine months of the flood more frequently reported involvement in rescue/aid activities and related emotional distress. Conclusion Disaster-related financial and housing stressors were associated with adverse maternal mental health outcomes, and delivery within nine months after the flood was associated with higher odds of adverse obstetric outcomes.
Skonieski et al. (Sat,) studied this question.