Publications by authors named "Gabriela Ammann"
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).
Purpose: Women of color in the United States, particularly in high-poverty neighborhoods, experience high rates of poor birth outcomes, including cesarean section, preterm birth, low birthweight, and infant mortality. Doula care has been linked to improvements in many perinatal outcomes, but women of color and low-income women often face barriers in accessing doula support.
Description: To address this issue, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Healthy Start Brooklyn introduced the By My Side Birth Support Program in 2010.