المؤلفون: Rice, Heather M.¹ h.m.rice@csuohio.edu, Collins, Cyleste C.², Singh, Monica², Cherney, Emily², Hercbergs, Dana²

المصدر: Maternal & Child Health Journal. May2024, Vol. 28 Issue 5, p858-864. 7p.

مصطلحات موضوعية: *DOULAS, *COMMUNITY health services, *SOCIAL constructionism, *HEALTH services accessibility, *MATERNAL health services, *HEALTH attitudes, *QUALITATIVE research, *RESEARCH funding, *INTERVIEWING, *MATERNAL-child health services, *PREGNANT women, *DESCRIPTIVE statistics, *THEMATIC analysis, *PSYCHOLOGY of Black people, *ATTITUDES of medical personnel, *RESEARCH methodology, *CONCEPTUAL structures, *TRUST, *SOCIAL support, *COMPARATIVE studies, *WOMEN'S health, *COVID-19 pandemic, *SOCIAL distancing, *PSYCHOSOCIAL factors, *SOCIAL isolation

مستخلص: Objectives: To better understand the experiences of Black pregnant women during COVID-19, we examined Black pregnant clients' and doulas' experiences with perinatal support services amid COVID-19's social distancing protocols. Methods: We used qualitative description, employing a social constructionist framework to interview 12 perinatal support doulas and 29 Black women who were pregnant or gave birth during the pandemic about their experiences during the pandemic, when social distancing was required. Results: Three key themes were identified: (1) Clients experienced increased social isolation; (2) Doulas' exclusion from medical visits limited women's access to support and advocacy; (3) Doula support as a sisterhood helped clients mitigate effects of COVID isolation. Conclusions for Practice: Doulas should be considered essential support persons for Black pregnant women and should not be excluded from the birthing team. Support through technology is acceptable for some clients but less desirable for others and restricted doula's ability to build rapport and be hands on with their clients. Significance: Despite Cuyahoga County, Ohio being home to world-class medical institutions, a Black, non-Hispanic infant born there is more than twice as likely as a White non-Hispanic infant to die before his or her first birthday (Cuyahoga County Board of Health, 2021). It is thus urgent to identify effective interventions to address such disparate infant mortality rates. Our research discusses one such intervention dedicated to employing Black perinatal support doulas to serve Black women in Cleveland. The research discusses how program clients and staff experienced adjustments to its service model during restrictions that were imposed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

المؤلفون: Temane, Annie M.¹ (AUTHOR) anniet@uj.ac.za, Magagula, Fortunate N.² (AUTHOR), Nolte, Anna G. W.¹ (AUTHOR)

المصدر: BMC Women's Health. 4/1/2024, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p1-9. 9p.

مصطلحات موضوعية: *DOULAS, *PUERPERIUM, *MIDWIVES, *MATERNAL health services, *PREGNANCY, *HEALTH facilities, *DISABILITY retirement

مستخلص: Background: Midwives encounter various difficulties while aiming to achieve excellence in providing maternity care to women with mobility disabilities. The study aimed to explore and describe midwives' experiences of caring for women with mobility disabilities during pregnancy, labour and puerperium in Eswatini. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, contextual research design with a phenomenological approach was followed. Twelve midwives working in maternal health facilities in the Hhohho and Manzini regions in Eswatini were interviewed. Purposive sampling was used to select midwives to participate in the research. In-depth phenomenological interviews were conducted, and Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological method was used for data analysis. Results: Three themes emerged from the data analysis: midwives experienced physical and emotional strain in providing maternity care to women with mobility disabilities, they experienced frustration due to the lack of equipment to meet the needs of women with mobility disabilities, and they faced challenges in providing support and holistic care to women with mobility disabilities during pregnancy, labour and puerperium. Conclusions: Midwives experienced challenges caring for women with mobility disabilities during pregnancy, labour and the puerperium in Eswatini. There is a need to develop and empower midwives with the knowledge and skill to implement guidelines and enact protocols. Moreover, equipment and infrastructure are required to facilitate support and holistic maternity care for women with mobility disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

المؤلفون: Nehme, Eileen K.^1,2, Wilson, Kimberly J.³, McGowan, Robert⁴, Schuessler, Kirkland R.^1,2, Morse, Sophie M.⁵, Patel, Divya A.^1,2 dpatel@utsystem.edu

المصدر: Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care. Mar2024, Vol. 51 Issue 1, p63-70. 8p.

مصطلحات موضوعية: *SOCIAL support, *DOULAS, *MEDICAL care costs, *RACE, *PREGNANT women, *COST benefit analysis, *PSYCHOSOCIAL factors, *HEALTH insurance, *DESCRIPTIVE statistics, *RESEARCH funding, *MEDICAID, *DATA analysis software, *WOMEN'S health, *SECONDARY analysis

مصطلحات جغرافية: TEXAS

مستخلص: Background: Disparities in birth outcomes continue to exist in the United States, particularly for low‐income, publicly insured women. Doula support has been shown to be a cost‐effective intervention in predominantly middle‐to‐upper income White populations, and across all publicly insured women at the state level. This analysis extends previous studies by providing an estimate of benefits that incorporates variations in averted outcomes by race and ethnicity in the context of one region in Texas. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) whether the financial value of benefits provided by doula support exceeds the costs of delivering it; (2) whether the cost–benefit ratio differs by race and ethnicity; and (3) how different doula reimbursement levels affect the cost–benefit results with respect to pregnant people covered by Medicaid in central Texas. Methods: We conducted a forward‐looking cost–benefit analysis using secondary data carried out over a short‐term time horizon taking a public payer perspective. We focused on a narrow set of health outcomes (preterm delivery and cesarean delivery) that was relatively straightforward to monetize. The current, usual care state was used as the comparison condition. Results: Providing pregnant people covered by Texas Medicaid with access to doulas during their pregnancies was cost‐beneficial (benefit‐to‐cost ratio: 1.15) in the base model, and 65.7% of the time in probabilistic sensitivity analyses covering a feasible range of parameters. The intervention is most cost‐beneficial for Black women. Reimbursing doulas at $869 per client or more yielded costs that were greater than benefits, holding other parameters constant. Conclusions: Expanding Medicaid pregnancy‐related coverage to include doula services would be cost‐beneficial and improve health equity in Texas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

المؤلفون: Hameed, Waqas¹, Khan, Bushra², Avan, Bilal Iqbal³ bilal.avan@lshtm.ac.uk

المصدر: Public Health Reviews (2107-6952). 2024, p1-3. 3p.

مصطلحات موضوعية: *MATERNAL health services, *DOULAS

مستخلص: This article explores the importance of supportive care in promoting respectful maternity care. It acknowledges that while interventions have been implemented to improve maternity care, they often overlook the provision of supportive care. Supportive care, which includes psychological and social strategies, can help pregnant women navigate the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of childbirth. The article emphasizes the need to incorporate supportive care into interventions and programs, examines how it is currently addressed in training manuals, and offers recommendations for the development of a comprehensive service delivery package for dignified maternity care. The inclusion of supportive care in recent guidelines is supported by evidence of its positive impact on birthing outcomes. The article also reviews various training manuals on respectful maternity care and identifies areas for improvement in terms of provider-focused information and health system integration. The authors advocate for a more holistic approach to supportive care by integrating psychosocial support for pregnant women, including their mental, emotional, and social well-being. They propose a two-pronged strategy that involves training maternity staff in evidence-based psychosocial support strategies and implementing processes at the health system level to ensure the systematic delivery of comprehensive care. This approach aims to make maternity care responsive, personalized, and equitable. The study was conducted as part of a larger research project approved by ethics review committees, and the authors have no conflicts of interest. [Extracted from the article]

المؤلفون: Shine, Danielle¹ (AUTHOR), Siriwardana, Heshani¹ (AUTHOR), Minehan, Michelle¹ (AUTHOR), Takito, Monica Yuri² (AUTHOR), Jani, Rati¹ (AUTHOR), Knight-Agarwal, Catherine R.¹ (AUTHOR) Cathy.Knight-Agarwal@canberra.edu.au

المصدر: BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth. 1/24/2024, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p1-9. 9p.

مصطلحات موضوعية: *PREGNANT women, *DOULAS, *SEAFOOD, *MATERNAL nutrition, *HIV-positive women, *HEALTH literacy, *FETAL development

مصطلحات جغرافية: AUSTRALIAN Capital Territory, NEW Zealand

مستخلص: Background: Maternal nutrition impacts fetal growth and development. The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) guidelines recommend pregnant women consume 2–3 servings (224–336 g) of fish/seafood per week to support intake of long chain omega 3 fatty acids, given adequate consumption supports numerous health benefits including reduced risk of preterm and early preterm birth. Evidence indicates that pregnant women purposely lower their fish/seafood intake, largely due to fears of methylmercury exposure. The aim of this study was to explore pregnant women's knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding their fish/seafood consumption during the antenatal period. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2018 and December 2020 among a purposive sample of 12 pregnant women from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Themes were developed on the women's lived experience related to fish/seafood knowledge, attitudes, and consumption behaviour. Results: The most prominent finding was widespread non-adherence to fish/seafood consumption guidelines. This was largely owing to a lack of proactive health promotion related to the health benefits of fish/seafood throughout pregnancy, including the health promoting roles of long chain omega 3 fatty acids for fetal growth and development. Three themes were identified: nutrition knowledge; sources of health promotion; and barriers and enablers to fish/seafood consumption. Conclusions: To support adequate maternal consumption of fish/seafood throughout pregnancy, emphasis should be placed on the benefits of consuming this food group regularly. Additionally, pregnant women should receive education about the health promoting role of long chain omega 3 fatty acids. Dietitians are well placed to provide this information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

المؤلفون: Henley, Megan M.¹ (AUTHOR) mhenley@coloradomesa.edu

المصدر: Sociological Perspectives. Apr2023, Vol. 66 Issue 2, p375-394. 20p.

مصطلحات موضوعية: *MEDICAL personnel, *PROFESSIONAL associations, DOULAS, CESAREAN section

مستخلص: Doulas provide individualized support during labor and childbirth. Research has consistently shown that having doulas support increases positive physical and psychological outcomes. Professional medical organizations have begun to recognize the evidence showing the positive effects of doula support. Even though professional organizations recommend doulas to reduce non-medically indicated treatments such as overuse of cesarean delivery, many practitioners uphold their authority to intervene as they see necessary. I utilize interviews with 25 doulas to explore how doulas use scientific evidence to ensure that women receive appropriate care. Results indicate that doulas do not think that many obstetricians follow evidence-based practices; doulas feel compelled to serve as overseers who remind medical staff about the clinical guidelines. In addition, doulas use evidence to prepare mothers to confront providers. I argue that while doulas can help close gaps, obstetric medicine needs to implement evidence-based strategies more systemically to improve care for all women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Copyright of Sociological Perspectives is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

المؤلفون: DeDiego, Amanda C.¹ (AUTHOR) adediego@uwyo.edu, Seifu, Feven² (AUTHOR), Rassier, Ayn² (AUTHOR), Bartley, Alyson² (AUTHOR), Ollila, Andrea¹ (AUTHOR)

المصدر: Journal of Pain & Symptom Management. Oct2023, Vol. 66 Issue 4, pe469-e473. 5p.

مصطلحات موضوعية: *OCCUPATIONAL roles, *DOULAS, *QUALITY of life, *SATISFACTION, *CHRONICALLY ill, *CHRONICALLY ill patient care

مصطلحات جغرافية: UNITED States

مستخلص: End-of-life doulas provide support to the chronically ill, dying, and their families. However, little is known about the roles and services of doulas practicing in the United States. The purpose of the current study is to gain understanding of the roles and experiences of death doulas in the United States. The current study used concurrent triangulation mixed methods design combining survey data with video and audio file submissions from end-of-life doulas. The survey included demographics information, a questionnaire about the roles, services, and training of doulas, and the Professional Quality of Life Scale. There were 74 (77.08%) complete responses from doulas practicing in the United States. Doulas shared about the types of services offered and professional roles they filled in work with the dying and their families. Many doulas offered hybrid or virtual services in addition to in-person care. Many worked at least partially on a volunteer basis. Professional Quality of Life Scales indicated a high level of compassion satisfaction, a low level of burnout, and a low level of secondary trauma. In the complex healthcare system of the United States, end-of-life doulas offer valuable interpersonal services like legacy and grief work as well as practical services like financial and logistical end-of-life planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

المؤلفون: Shafie, Zainab Mohd¹, Ismail, Rohani² rohanis@usm.my, Pereira, David Joseph²

المصدر: Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences. 2023 Supplement, Vol. 19, p194-200. 7p.

مصطلحات موضوعية: *DOULAS, *CHILDBIRTH, *PREGNANT women, *FOCUS groups, *PUBLIC hospitals, *HUSBANDS

مصطلحات جغرافية: MALAYSIA

مستخلص: Introduction: Currently, all government hospitals allow husbands to be with their wives during labour. Unfortunately, many husbands have limited knowledge of the labour process and they often panic easily. This paper aims to explore husband support and attitude of being a birth partner during the labour process. Methods: This is a phenomenological qualitative study which applied focus group discussion among husbands, wives and midwives. Five focus group discussion sessions using semi structured questions were conducted at Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu. The focus group sessions involving a total of 32 participants provided sufficient data saturation for thematic content analysis. Results: The themes identified comprise of support from husband, husband's care role during pregnancy and birth, and husband's attitude during childbirth. All participants agreed that the husband is the best birth partner to provide emotional support and motivation during labour process. Conclusion: This information provides insights on specific roles and attitude for husbands to be active birth partners. It is recommended that clinicians and ward managers facilitating expectant mothers to involve husbands as birth partners during labour process. Husband involvement is necessary to provide wife with psychological support. Study findings can be incorporated into an intervention module to train husbands in providing support for their wives facing labour pain and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

المؤلفون: Costello, Erica C R

المصدر: Voice of Experience. Apr2024, p14-16. 3p. 2 Color Photographs.

مصطلحات موضوعية: *DOULAS, *GRIEF, *MEDICAL assistance

مستخلص: End-of-life doulas, also known as death doulas, provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to individuals and their loved ones during the dying process. They offer holistic care and can assist with tasks such as education about the dying process, funeral planning, grief counseling, and companionship. While there is no government certification required to become an end-of-life doula, there are organizations that provide training and certification. These services are typically privately funded, but some hospice organizations may cover them through volunteers, donations, grants, or scholarships. Individuals and families seeking support during the dying process may consider utilizing end-of-life doula services. [Extracted from the article]

المؤلفون: Kang, Emily, Stowe, Nat'e, Burton, Kelsey, Ritchwood, Tiarney D.

المصدر: BMC Public Health; 6/13/2024, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p1-12, 12p

مصطلحات موضوعية: PEOPLE of color, MATERNAL mortality, DOULAS, INFANT mortality, CINAHL database

مستخلص: Background: Birthing people of color experience disproportionately higher rates of infant and maternal mortality during pregnancy and birth compared to their white counterparts. The utilization of doula support services may lead to improvements in the birthing experiences of birthing people of color. Yet, the research in this area is sparse. Thus, the purpose of this review is to characterize the research on doula utilization among birthing people of color, identify gaps in the field, and provide recommendations for future research. Methods: Utilizing PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a scoping review, searching PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles published between January 1, 2016, to July 3, 2022. Results: Twenty-five articles met inclusion criteria. We identified the three themes characterizing included studies: (1) how doulas support (HDS) their clients, (2) doula support outcomes (DSO), and (3) considerations for implementing doula support services (CIDS). Despite doulas being described as agents of empowerment, and providing social support, education, and advocacy, birthing people of color reported low utilization of doula support services and findings regarding their effectiveness in improving birthing outcomes were mixed. Conclusions: While some studies suggest that doulas may offer important services to birthing people of color, doulas are largely under-utilized, with many birthing people reporting low knowledge of their potential roles during the pre- and post-partum periods. Moreover, few studies were designed to assess intervention effects, limiting our ability to draw firm conclusions. Birthing people of color are at elevated risk for maternal mortality. As such, interventions are needed to support this population and improve outcomes. Our review suggests that, while doulas have the potential to make important contributions to the birthing support team, they are underutilized, and intervention studies are needed to enable estimates of their true effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Copyright of BMC Public Health is the property of BioMed Central and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)