Traumatic Birth Experiences and Maternal Empowerment: A Rehabilitation Counseling Perspective

It is predicted that every 4.5 minutes an infant is born with a birth defect, and, on average, 1 in 33 infants are born with some type of birth defect. The rehabilitation literature is replete with studies signifying the importance of adjustment to disability among clients and consumers and their families. Discussions surrounding maternal empowerment, maternal adjustment, and trauma associated with traumatic birth, birth defects, and childhood disability and related clinical implications follow.