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Research
Research shows doulas make a difference
A growing body of research shows that the use of a doula has clear benefits for families during childbirth and postpartum, with no known risks. Visit our web site regularly to see new research.
Helpful links for this page:
Birth Doulas Make a Difference
More Research Sources
New eDoula Survey Here!
Hospital Based or Community Doula Program Survey
DONA International is collaborating with DONA International member Ann Fulcher, program manager for Hearts and Hands Volunteer Doula Program at the University of California – San Diego, in her effort to gather information on hospital-based and community doula programs. DONA International is posting this questionnaire on our website and providing a response link to Ann. When you submit your questionnaire, it will go to Ann, who is assembling a list of doula programs that will be made available to the public. Once completed, DONA International members will have access to the list through our web site.
Download Survey Now
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Birth Doulas Make a Difference
The value of providing laboring women with continuous emotional support, physical comfort, and
encouragement has been recognized worldwide.
Given the clear benefits and no known risks associated with intrapartum support, every
effort should be made to ensure all labouring women receive support, not only from those close to
them but also from specially trained caregivers. This support should include continuous presence,
the provision of hands-on comfort, and encouragement. Hodnett, E.D. Support from caregivers
during childbirth (Cochrane Review) in Cochrane Library, Issue 2. Oxford Update Software, 1998.
Updated Quarterly.
A doula provides support consisting of praise, reassurance, measures to improve the
comfort of the mother, physical contact such as rubbing the mother’s back and holding her hands,
explanation of what is going on during labour and delivery and a constant friendly presence. Such
tasks can also be fulfilled by a nurse or midwife, but they often need to perform technical/medical
procedures that can distract their attention from the mother. Care in Normal Birth: a Practical
Guide. Report of a Technical Working Group. World Health Organization, 1996.
Facing unprecedented pressures to reduce expenses, many hospitals are targeting the
largest single budget item – labor costs… (An) unintended consequence of nursing cutbacks may
be an increased cesarean rate; the inability of pared down nursing staff to provide continuous
coverage to laboring mothers (has been) shown to increase the chance of a cesarean…Doulas
clearly improve clinical and service quality; they provide an absolutely safe way to reduce
cesareans and other invasive birthing interventions. Coming to Term: Innovations in Safely
Reducing Cesarean Rates. Medical Leadership Council, Washington D.C. 1996
Professionals have paid much attention to innovative technology and the many new
options for monitoring and managing labor. While the technology is important, it can become so
prominent that clinicians ignore both the natural aspects of labor and the non-technical needs of
women in labor… Changes that support the patient in labor and reinforce the natural, physiologic
process…. Includes providing one-to-one psychological support for patients using nursing staff or
doulas. Reducing the Cesarean Section Rates while Maintaining Maternal and Infant Outcomes.
Bruce L. Flamm et al. Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Boston, 1997
The continuous availability of a caregiver to provide psychological support and comfort
should be a key component of all intrapartum care programs, which should be designed for the
effective prevention, and treatment of dystocia (non-progressive labor). Guidelines on Dystocia.
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, 1995.
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More Research Sources
Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, new Cochrane Review through the Childbirth Connection (Formerly Maternity Center Association), July 2003
Listening to Mothers: Report of the First National U.S. Survey of Women's Childbearing Experiences,Childbirth Connection (Formerly Maternity Center Association), October 24, 2002
Caregiver Support for Women During Childbirth: Does the Presence of a Labor-Support Person Affect Maternal-Child Outcomes?, American Family Physician, October 1, 2002
Lying in, Canadian Medical Association Journal, September 17, 2002
Social Support By Doulas During Labor And The Early Postpartum Period, Hospital Physician, September 2001 (pdf)
Care of Women in U.S. Hospitals, 2000, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, October 2002
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