Every Child a Lion: The Origins of Maternal and Infant Health Policy in the United States and France, 1890-1920.

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 and their neonates experienced improved health outcomes and lower rates of intervention relative to national statistics for adolescent deliveries in the United States. Key findings are consistent with previous studies on the effects of doula care for marginalized and medically underserved communities. Results strengthen the case for doulas as a perinatal care strategy for improving maternal and infant health outcomes and decreasing inequities among childbearing adolescents.

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Paid Maternity Leave in the United States: Associations with Maternal and Infant Health

Maternal and Child Health Journal ◽

10.1007/s10995-017-2393-x ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 216-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Judy Jou ◽

Katy B. Kozhimannil ◽

Jean M. Abraham ◽

Lynn A. Blewett ◽

Patricia M. McGovern

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Infant Health ◽

Maternity Leave ◽

The United States ◽

Maternal And Infant Health

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The Bureaucratic Violence of the Health Care System for Pregnant Immigrants on the United States-Mexico Border

Human Organization ◽

10.17730/0018-7259.79.1.33 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

pp. 33-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carina Heckert

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Health Care ◽

Prenatal Care ◽

Low Income ◽

Infant Health ◽

The United States ◽

Maternal And Infant Health ◽

United States Mexico Border ◽

Mexico Border ◽

United States Mexico

Using the concept bureaucratic violence, this article explores how health care bureaucracy contributes to harm for pregnant immigrants on the United States-Mexico border. The term bureaucratic violence captures how even when laws and health policies are not targeting a specific group, bureaucracy can do this work instead, causing systematic harm. Prenatal care in the United States captures this dynamic. In many states, prenatal coverage is available for low-income women regardless of immigration status. Yet, the bureaucratic routes for gaining access to coverage create latent forms of exclusion and fear, leading women to delay or not seek prenatal care or to experience anxieties over seeking care. In-depth interviews with pregnant and postnatal immigrant women revealed that threats of changes to bureaucratic procedures via the likely public charge rule was shaping the use of pregnancy-related public benefits. Even when women applied for these programs, they faced bureaucratic barriers and described bureaucratic monitoring as a source of emotional distress. These patterns can have detrimental effects on maternal and infant health outcomes. Bringing attention to bureaucratic violence can emphasize to health practitioners the struggles immigrants face in seeking prenatal care and the need for additional measures to support pregnant immigrants.

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A mixed-methods longitudinal study of Marshallese infant feeding beliefs and experiences in the United States: a study protocol

International Breastfeeding Journal ◽

10.1186/s13006-021-00412-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Britni L. Ayers ◽

Cari A. Bogulski ◽

Lauren Haggard-Duff ◽

James P. Selig ◽

Pearl A. McElfish

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Infant Feeding ◽

Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽

Infant Health ◽

The United States ◽

Breastfeeding Intention ◽

Maternal And Infant Health

Abstract Background Arkansas has the largest population of Marshallese Pacific Islanders residing in the continental United States. Marshallese are disproportionately burdened by poorer maternal and infant health outcomes. Exclusive breastfeeding can prevent or help mitigate maternal and infant health disparities. However, exclusive breastfeeding among United States Marshallese communities remains disproportionately low, and the reasons are not well documented. This paper describes the protocol of a mixed-methods concurrent triangulation longitudinal study designed to explore the beliefs and experiences that serve as barriers and/or facilitators to exclusive breastfeeding intention, initiation, and duration among Marshallese mothers in northwest Arkansas. Methods The mixed-methods design collects qualitative and quantitative data during simultaneous data collection events, at third trimester, six weeks postpartum, and six months postpartum. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analyzed separately and then synthesized during the interpretation phase. The research team will disseminate results to study participants, research stakeholders, the broader Marshallese community, and fellow researchers. Discussion Findings and results will be presented in subsequent manuscripts upon completion of the study. This study will be an important first step to better understand beliefs and experiences to exclusive breastfeeding intention, initiation, and duration in this community and will inform tools and interventions to help improve health outcomes. The study will also aid in filling the gap in research and providing essential information on the infant feeding beliefs and barriers among a Marshallese community in Arkansas.

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