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Doula Programs: The Latest Evidence
Doula program managers and grant writers are always in need of the latest statistics to bolster their claims of benefits to clients served by the doula program. Now we have some exciting news! In February 2011, Childbirth Connection published online Systematic Reviews: Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth. This updated systematic review of the effects of continuous labor support was published in The Cochrane Library in 2011, issue 2. The review summarizes results of 21 randomized controlled trials that involved 15,061 women.
According to Childbirth Connection, this review is descended from the first systematic review of controlled trial research of effects of labor support, which appeared in Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth (1989). It has contributed to the development of policy statements and guidelines, legislation, and programs promoting continuous labor support in many countries throughout the world.
The most recent update incorporates six new randomized controlled trials, expands outcomes included in subgroup analyses, discriminates among three types of labor support companions in a subgroup analysis, and has been updated to reflect current methodologic guidelines
Overall, women who received continuous support were less likely than women who did not to:
- have regional analgesia
- have any analgesia/anesthesia
- give birth with vacuum extraction or forceps
- give birth by cesarean
- have a baby with a low 5-minute Apgar score
- report dissatisfaction or a negative rating of their experience
Women receiving continuous support were more likely than those who did not to:
- give birth spontaneously (that is, with neither cesarean nor vacuum extraction nor forceps)
have a shorter labor
The Doula Programs blog provides a forum for doula program visionaries and implementers to consider common challenges, ask questions, and learn from each other. Patty Brennan is the author of The Doula Business Guide: Creating a Successful MotherBaby Business.