Best Beginnings for Babies Birth Sister Program Evaluation

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Labor Pain

In brief

Peer support during labor, birth and the perinatal period (also known as "doula" support) has been shown in some studies to reduce cesarean rates, postpartum depression and increase breastfeeding rates. The purpose of this program evaluation is to prospectively assess the clinical and cost outcomes of Boston Medical Center's Birth Sister doula program, one of the few established, hospital-based programs in the United States. To enhance the capability of the Birth Sisters Program to impact social determinants of perinatal health in a low-income population, the program evaluation will include the addition of Medical Legal Partnership for Children's (MLP) training and referral services. This program will be described as the Birth Sisters Best Beginnings services (BBB). The evaluation will compare the effects of BBB compared with no Birth Sister support for women receiving maternity care at Boston Medical Center. Eligible women will be randomly assigned either BBB services or usual care. All women will be consented and interviewed in the mid-second trimester of pregnancy and interviewed again at 6-8 weeks postpartum. Women randomized to the BBB will be offered 8 prenatal Birth Sister visits in the home or at Boston Medical Center starting at 6 months of pregnancy, continuous support through labor and birth, and up to 4 postpartum Birth Sister visits in the home or at Boston Medical Center. The usual care group will receive no birth sister support but does have access to standard interdisciplinary maternity care services. The primary outcomes will be reduction in cesarean rate. Secondary outcomes will include cost, labor interventions, infant outcomes, satisfaction with care and psychosocial outcomes, including depression, social functioning and self-efficacy.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT02550730

Run by

Boston Medical Center

People needed

411

Starts

2015-08-01

Expected to finish

2018-06-01

Last updated by the study team

2018-07-06

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 64. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Being a pregnant Woman 16 to 24 gestational age
• First Time Mother
• Singleton
• Public insurance
• No known fetal anomaly

You may not qualify if…

• < 18 years of age
• high risk pregnancy defined by care in the high-risk prenatal clinic

Where it is running

• Boston Medical Center — Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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