General and Cross-cultural Health Care

New Largest Ever Waterbirth Study

Click here to learn more about the study. Click here to request a PDF of the full paper.

Early childhood leadership: A photovoice exploration

Abstract The first five years of a child’s life represent critical windows in physiological, social-emotional, and cognitive development. Administrators of early childhood (EC) programs play a pivotal role in determining the quality of experiences that unfold for young children in center-based care. Using photovoice, semi-structured administrator interviews, and participant-observation, we…

Asking different questions: A call to action for research to improve the quality of care for every woman, every child

Abstract Despite decades of considerable economic investment in improving the health of families and newborns world-wide, aspirations for maternal and newborn health have yet to be attained in many regions. The global turn toward recognizing the importance of positive experiences of pregnancy, intrapartum and postnatal care, and care in the…

Rural community birth: Maternal and neonatal outcomes for planned community births among rural women in the United States, 2004-2009.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Approximately 22% of women in the United States live in rural areas with limited access to obstetric care. Despite declines in hospital-based obstetric services in many rural communities, midwifery care at home and in free standing birth centers is available in many rural communities. This study examines maternal…

Outcomes of Care for 1,892 Doula-Supported Adolescent Births in the United States: The DONA International Data Project, 2000 to 2013

Abstract This is the largest study to-date to report on outcomes of care for a national sample of doula-supported adolescent births (n = 1,892, birth years 2000 to 2013). Descriptive statistics were calculated for maternal demographics, risk profiles, labor/birth interventions and occurrences, and birth outcomes. In this national sample, childbearing adolescents…

Outcomes of care for 1,892 doula-supported adolescent women in the United States: The DONA International Data Project, 2000-2013.

Mapping integration of midwives across the United States: Impact on access, equity, and outcomes

Abstract Poor coordination of care across providers and birth settings has been associated with adverse maternal-newborn outcomes. Research suggests that integration of midwives into regional health systems is a key determinant of optimal maternal-newborn outcomes, yet, to date, the characteristics of an integrated system have not been described, nor linked…

Too Long to Wait: Obstetric Fistula and the Sociopolitical Dynamics of the Fourth Delay in Soroti, Uganda

Abstract Uganda has one of the highest obstetric fistula rates in the world with approximately 200,000 women currently suffering. Surgical closure successfully treats fistula in the majority of cases, yet there is a severe shortage of facilities and trained surgeons in low-resource countries. The purpose of this study was to…

Cesarean Birth Regret and Dissatisfaction: A Qualitative Approach

Abstract BACKGROUND The most consistently noted difference between unplanned cesarean and vaginal births is patient dissatisfaction or regret. This has been explored in multiple quantitative studies. However, the causes of this dissatisfaction remain elusive as a result of the limitations of survey instruments that restrict possible choices. METHODS Using open‐ended,…

Understanding Recent Home-Birth Research

Abstract In the past month, two new studies have been released—one in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM; Snowden et al., 2015) and the other in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (Hutton et al., 2015)—comparing out-of-hospital birth outcomes to hospital birth outcomes. These studies join a growing body of…

“If it is written by Allah, there is nothing that can stop it”: Saudi Women’s Breast Cancer Narratives

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify cultural models of breast cancer held by Saudi women and to explore how these may influence early detection and treatment-seeking behaviors. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with breast cancer survivors (n=20) from two Western cities in Saudi Arabia. Respondents were…