This study looked at 600 labors where the patients’ female friend underwent four hours of training in doula techniques and were considered “lay doulas”.  The results suggested that labor can be shortened by 1 hour.  Outcomes on the newborn health were also shown to be improved by 2% based on the APGAR score – a ranking system health care practitioners use to measure health characteristics of newborns. 

These findings could benefit low income women who cannot afford formal birth support but want the positive outcome of having the continuous support of a lay doula.

This paper is published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing.  Media wishing to receive a PDF of the any of the articles should contact: professionalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net.

Dee Campbell is the Research Coordinator for the Study on Sleep & Functional Performance in Heart Failure at UMDNJ in Newark. She can be reached for questions or interview by e-mail at della.campbell@verizon.net.

About JOGNN
JOGNN is the official journal of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). A leader among the nation's nursing associations, AWHONN serves and represents more than 22,000 health care professionals in the U.S., Canada and abroad. AWHONN members are committed to delivering superior health care to women and newborns in hospitals, in home health and ambulatory care settings. AWHONN members' rich diversity of skills and experience make AWHONN the voice for women's health and neonatal nursing. AWHONN received a 2005 Associations Advance America Award from the American Society of Association Executives for Promoting Health Among Hispanic Women through Toda Mujer, a Spanish language publication distributed free of charge to over 500,000 women through their nurses. For more information about AWHONN, go to www.awhonn.org.

For more information, please visit:
www.blackwellpublishing.com/jognn
http://www.awhonn.org/

                                                                                        
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Contact:
Heather Noonan
Blackwell Publishing
Phone: (781) 388-8540
Professionalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net