Grassroots Network: New study shows benefits of doulas

Dear Friends,

A new randomized controlled trial of continuous labor support for middle-class couples looks at the effect on cesarean delivery rates and found significant benefits. From the abstract:

CONCLUSIONS: For middle-class women laboring with the support of their male partner, the continuous presence of a doula during labor significantly decreased the likelihood of cesarean delivery and reduced the need for epidural analgesia. Women and their male partners were unequivocal in their positive opinions about laboring with the support of a doula.

In fact, the study found that the doula group had a significantly lower cesarean delivery rate than the control group (13.4% vs 25.0%).

You can read the abstract here.

Here is the citation:
A randomized controlled trial of continuous labor support for middle-class couples: effect on cesarean delivery rates.
SK McGrath and JH Kennell
Birth, June 1, 2008; 35(2): 92-7.

Sincerely,
Susan Hodges, gatekeeper