Publication
“The gender gap in caring for children with medical complexity”
Werner K · Journal of Perinatology · 2023
"The following is an unfortunate but common scenario: a baby born extremely premature who needs a tracheostomy for long-term ventilatory support might have no home nursing available in her area, regardless of insurance status, and might wait months for a rehabilitation bed in the closest facility in a neighboring state. If she is able to be discharged home, her mother will quit her job to provide bedside care and her father will work full-time (or more) for the provision of financial support and medical insurance. In the most recent example this writer recalls, the patient’s father’s work schedule did not permit him to come into the hospital to learn tracheostomy care. The weight of this responsibility is considerable for all parties, but the scale for primary caregiving tends to tilt heavily toward women/gestational parents [1]. On superficial analysis, one might attribute the gender gap in unpaid care work to societal and cultural attitudes about gender norms, femininity, and motherhood. However, newer data have revealed that economic and public policies have a substantial impact on the gender care gap. As medical providers for children with medical complexity (CMC), we must examine the issues facing their families and high-yield areas to advocate for policy change, including home nursing, paid caregiving for CMC by family members, family leave, and increased job flexibility."
Synced from the TRENDS in Pediatric Palliative Care Zotero library, curated by The Siden Research Team. ICPCN does not host or verify the full text.