Birth equity on the front lines: Impact of a community-based doula program in Brooklyn,NY

Background

We assessed whether participation in Healthy Start Brooklyn's By My Side Birth Support Program—a maternal-health program providing community-based doula support during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the early postpartum period—was associated with improved birth outcomes. By My Side takes a strength-based approach that aligns with the doula principles of respecting the client's autonomy, providing culturally appropriate care without judgment or conditions, and promoting informed decision making.

Methods

Using a matched cohort design, birth certificate records for By My Side participants from 2010 through 2017 (n = 603) were each matched to three controls who also lived in the program area (n = 1809). Controls were matched on maternal age, race/ethnicity, education level, and trimester of prenatal-care initiation, using the simple random sampling method. The sample was restricted to singleton births. The odds of preterm birth, low birthweight, and cesarean birth were estimated, using conditional logistic regression.

Results

By My Side participants had lower odds of having a preterm birth (5.6% vs 11.9%, P < .0001) or a low-birthweight baby (5.8% vs 9.7%, P = .0031) than controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the odds of cesarean delivery.

Conclusion

Participation in the By My Side Birth Support Program was associated with lower odds of preterm birth and low birthweight for participants, who were predominantly Black and Hispanic. Investing in doula services is an important way to address birth inequities among higher risk populations such as birthing people of color and those living in poverty. It could also help shape a new vision of the maternal-health system, placing the needs and well-being of birthing people at the center.