Research Panel 1

General session

DATE: Friday, November 8th
TIME: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
FACULTY: Heather Thompson, MS, PhD, Myla Flores, CD, LCCE, SpBCPE, CLC, and Jordan Smith, CNM, MSN, WHNP

This research panel includes two presentations:

Landscape Analysis of Birth Justice: Defining, Mapping, and Strategizing

There is a pressing need to find solutions to improving care quality and access for marginalized communities. Birth justice is a movement led by Black women and people of color that seeks to recognize those inequalities and to empower people in these communities in the pregnancy and birthing process. The birth justice movement works to safeguard the rights of birthing people to make decisions around their pregnancies, and to have children in safe and supportive environments.

While we know that birth justice groups and movements are emerging all over the U.S., little is known about the range of community-based models that exist, their impact on people’s lives, births and health outcomes, and their impact on the larger healthcare system. While aspects and individuals within the Birth Justice movement have had greater attention, the movement itself is often not a participant in structural and systemic conversations about maternal health in the U.S. Increased interest in the solutions provided by Birth Justice has also lead to an increase in funding, and while this is positive, it still represents a miniscule portion of the total maternal health budget for the U.S.

In this presentation will we explore the results of a mixed methods landscape analysis that was conducted in 2023. Results will shed light on how to integrate, uplift and replicate birth justice values and practices to improve equity within birth centers. We will present recommendations for a strategic approach to integrating birth justice into the larger maternal health ecosystem to accelerate progress.

Diversifying Birth Settings for Birthing People of Color

The rising popularity of freestanding birth centers in the U.S., marked by a 13.2% increase in births in 2020, highlights the shift towards community-based birth settings and underscores the urgent need for research on how gestational age affects birth outcomes and transfer rates in these environments. However, the outcome of newborns of differing gestational ages born in freestanding birth centers has not been assessed.

This study aims to 1) determine the gestational age distribution of newborns born in freestanding birth centers and 2) assess the outcomes of newborns born within the gestational age ranges of 36 weeks to 43 weeks at freestanding birth centers. The primary outcome will be the transfer of newborns from the birth center to hospital care. Secondary outcomes will include Apgar scores, need for resuscitation, birth asphyxia, birth weight, breastfeeding initiation and at discharge and 6 weeks, and perinatal death.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study using data from the America Association of Birth Centers Perinatal Data Registry (PDR) from 2007 to 2023, will be conducted to investigate the neonatal outcomes among infants born within the gestational age ranges of 36 weeks to 43 weeks at the freestanding birth centers.

This study will address a critical gap in knowledge regarding safety parameters based on gestational age in the birth center setting. Findings can facilitate evidence-based clinical guidelines, education, and quality improvement initiatives to optimize birth center safety. This will assist pregnant women in making informed choices between hospital and birth center delivery.

Faculty