Delivery, Obstetric, Pregnancy
Conditions
Keywords
doula, caregivers, labor support, being with woman, continuous labor support, maternal outcomes, Parturition
Brief summary
The purpose of this study was to compare labor outcomes in women accompanied by an additional support person (doula group) with outcomes in women who did not have this additional support person (control group). The current study was designed with the benefits of continuous labor support in mind as well as the need for a cost-effective, affordable program to provide those services for low-income women. Its purpose was to evaluate the effects of continuous labor support provided by a female companion of the pregnant person's choosing who, with the mother, had participated in an educational program to teach her how to provide continuous labor support.
Detailed description
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of a female companion in labor who had been chosen by a nulliparous, underinsured, low-income woman and who had received brief training in supportive labor techniques. The objective was to compare labor outcomes, specifically cesarean section rates, in women accompanied by this additional support person (doula group) with outcomes in women who did not have this additional support person (control group).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALdoula training
Sponsors
Saint Peters University Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
16 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Nulliparous (never given birth before) * Singleton pregnancy * Vertex presentation * Low risk pregnancy * Has a female friend willing to be a doula
Exclusion criteria
* Placenta previa * Abruptio placenta * Multiple pregnancy * Breech presentation * Planned operative delivery
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Length of labor | — |
| type of delivery | — |
| type and timing of analgesia/anesthesia | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Birthweight | — |
| neonatal Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes after birth | — |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed