RESUMO
PURPOSE: This chapter examines birth outcomes of patients enrolled in Familias Sanas (Healthy Families), an educational intervention designed to reduce health disadvantages of low-income, immigrant Latvia mothers by providing social support during and after pregnancy. METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Using a randomized control-group design, the project recruited 440 pregnant Latina women, 88% of whom were first generation. Birth outcomes were collected through medical charts and analyzed using regression analysis to evaluate if there were any differences between patients enrolled in Familias Sanas compared to those patients who followed a typical prenatal course. FINDINGS: Control and intervention groups were found to be similar with regard to demographic characteristics. In addition, we did not observe a decrease in rate of a number of common pregnancy-related complications. Likewise, rates of operative delivery were similar between the two groups as were fetal weight at delivery and use of regional anesthesia at delivery. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The lack of improvements in birth outcomes for this study was perhaps because this social support intervention was not significant enough to override long-standing stressors such as socioeconomic status, poor nutrition, genetics, and other environmental stressors. ORIGINALITY/VALUE OF CHAPTER: This study was set in an inner-city, urban hospital with a large percentage of patients being of Hispanic descent. The study itself is a randomized controlled clinical trial, and data were collected directly from electronic medical records by physicians.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is becoming more common in residency, and about 80% of residents are female. This leads to questions of breastfeeding, work demands, and perception of burden by colleagues. This study was designed to assess experiences of (1) breastfeeding obstetrics residents and (2) their colleagues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of obstetrics and gynecology residents. Residents were categorized into experience with or no experience with breastfeeding to determine differences. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 404 residents in obstetrics. Breastfeeding is common, with 90% of residents knowing a breastfeeding resident and 22% of residents reporting personal experience with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding residents (n=89) felt support from their faculty and fellow residents. More than one in three breastfeeding mothers felt they placed extra demands on colleagues, despite 80% of colleagues reporting that they did not feel that breastfeeding colleagues placed extra demands. A breastfeeding policy was important to 85% of residents, but only 7% believed their program had one. Two-thirds of breastfeeding residents struggled with low milk supply and stopped breastfeeding early. CONCLUSIONS: Despite high levels of perceived support from faculty/fellow residents, breastfeeding residents struggle with low milk supply and work demands that lead to early discontinuation.
