Variation in Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration by Mode of Childbirth: A Prospective, Population-Based Study.

Despite known benefits of breastfeeding, including prevention against infections for infants, in the presence of numerous barriers, less than half of infants in high-income countries breastfeed for 6 months. One potential barrier to breastfeeding is birth by cesarean section (C-Section), which can invoke long-term difficulties. However, our structured literature review found that existing empirical research does not fully elucidate this relationship due to differences in operationalization of C-section and breastfeeding, omission of important confounders, and failure to exclude those who did not initiate breastfeeding (or use time-to-event analyses).

The role of doulas in respectful care for communities of color and Medicaid recipients.

Background: Despite the tenets of rights-based, person-centered maternity care, racialized groups, low-income people, and people who receive Medicaid insurance in the United States experience mistreatment, discrimination, and disrespectful care more often than people with higher income or who identify as white. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the presence of a doula (a person who provides continuous support during childbirth) and respectful care during birth, especially for groups made vulnerable by systemic inequality.

Methods: We used data from 1977 women interviewed in the Listening to Mothers in California survey (2018).

A Call to Action: Reinvigorating Interest and Investments in Health Infrastructure.

Infrastructure investments can contribute substantially to alleviating burdens of morbidity and mortality while also providing a positive return on investment in the long term.