Rural resilience: The role of birth centers in the United States

A case study analysis of a successful birth center in northern Uganda

BACKGROUND

Mothers and infants continue to die at alarming rates throughout the Global South. Evidence suggests that high-quality midwifery care significantly reduces preventable maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. This paper uses a case study approach to describe the social and institutional model at one birth center in Northern Uganda where, in over 20,000 births, there have been no maternal deaths and the neonatal mortality rate is 11/1000-a rate that is lower than many high-resource countries.

METHODS

This case study combined institutional ethnographic and narrative methods to explore key maternal and neonatal outcomes. The sample included birthing people who intended to or had given birth at the center, as well as the midwives, staff, stakeholders, and community health workers affiliated with the center. Data were collected through individual and small group interviews, participant observation, field notes, data and document reviews. Iterative and systematic analytical steps were followed, and all data were organized and managed with Atlas.ti software.

RESULTS

Findings describe the setting, an overview of the birth center's history, how it is situated within the community, its staffing, administration, clinical outcomes, and model of care. A synthesis of contextual variables and key outcomes as they relate to the components of the evidence-informed Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC) framework are presented. Three overarching themes were identified: (a) community knowledge and understanding, (b) community integrated care, and (c) quality care that is respectful, accessible, and available.

CONCLUSIONS

This birth center is an example of care that embodies the findings and anticipated outcomes described in the QMNC framework. Replication of this model in other childbearing settings may help alleviate unnecessary perinatal morbidity and mortality.

Inequities in Adequacy of Prenatal Care and Shifts in Rural/Urban Differences Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

Adequate prenatal care is vital for positive maternal, fetal, and child health outcomes; however, differences in prenatal care utilization exist, particularly among rural populations. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth in prenatal care, but its impact on the adequacy of care remains unclear.

METHODS

Using Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data, this study examined prenatal care adequacy during the early-pandemic year (2020) and pre-pandemic years (2016-2019) and investigated rural-urban inequities. Logistic regression models assessed the association between the pandemic year and prenatal care adequacy, and considered barriers to virtual care as a covariate.

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 163,758 respondents in 2016-2019 and 42,314 respondents in 2020. Overall, the study participants were 12% less likely to receive adequate prenatal visits during the early-pandemic year (2020) compared with 2016-2019 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.86, 0.91]). Respondents in rural areas had lower odds of receiving adequate prenatal care compared with those in urban areas during both pre-pandemic years (aOR = 0.90; 95% CI [0.88, 0.93]) and the early-pandemic year (aOR = 0.94; 95% CI [0.88, 0.99]). However, after adjusting for barriers to virtual care, the difference between rural and urban areas in the early-pandemic year became nonsignificant (aOR = 0.93; 95% CI [0.78, 1.11]). Barriers to virtual care, including lack of phones, data, computers, internet access, and private space, were significantly associated with inadequate prenatal care.

CONCLUSION

During the early-pandemic year, PRAMS respondents experienced reduced adequacy of prenatal care. Although rural-urban inequities persisted, our results suggest that existing barriers to virtual care explained these inequities. Telehealth interventions that minimize these barriers could potentially enhance health care utilization among pregnant people.

Influence of the Physical Environment on Maternal Care for Culturally Diverse Women: A Narrative Review

OBJECTIVES

This narrative literature review aims to develop a framework that can be used to understand, study, and design maternal care environments that support the needs of women from diverse racial and ethnic groups.

BACKGROUND

Childbirth and the beginning of life hold particular significance across many cultures. People's cultural orientation and experiences influence their preferences within healthcare settings. Research suggests that culturally sensitive care can help improve the experiences and outcomes and reduce maternal health disparities for women from diverse cultures. At the same time, the physical environment of the birth setting influences the birthing experience and maternal outcomes such as the progression of labor, the use of interventions, and the type of birth.

METHODS

The review synthesizes articles from three categories: (a) physical environment of birthing facilities, (b) physical environment and culturally sensitive care, and (c) physical environment and culturally sensitive birthing facilities.

RESULTS

Fifty-five articles were identified as relevant to this review. The critical environmental design features identified in these articles were categorized into different spatial scales: community, facility, and room levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Most studies focus on maternal or culturally sensitive care settings outside the United States. Since the maternal care environment is an important aspect of their culturally sensitive care experience, further studies exploring the needs and perspectives of racially and ethnically diverse women within maternal care settings in the United States are necessary. Such research can help future healthcare designers contribute toward addressing the ongoing maternal health crisis within the country.

Health outcomes and provider choice under full practice authority for certified nurse-midwives

Full practice authority grants non-physician providers the ability to manage patient care without physician oversight or direct collaboration. In this study, we consider whether full practice authority for certified nurse-midwives (CNMs/CMs) leads to changes in health outcomes or CNM/CM use. Using U.S. birth certificate and death certificate records over 2008-2019, we show that CNM/CM full practice authority led to little change in obstetric outcomes, maternal mortality, or neonatal mortality. Instead, full practice authority increases (reported) CNM/CM-attended deliveries by one percentage point while decreasing (reported) physician-attended births. We then explore the mechanisms behind the increase in CNM/CM-attended deliveries, demonstrating that the rise in CNM/CM-attended deliveries represents higher use of existing CNM/CMs and is not fully explainable by improved reporting of CNM/CM deliveries or changes in CNM/CM labor supply.

The birth center model of care: Staffing, business characteristics, and core clinical outcomes

OBJECTIVES

Interest in expanding access to the birth center model is growing. The purpose of this research is to describe birth center staffing models and business characteristics and explore relationships to perinatal outcomes.

METHODS

This descriptive analysis includes a convenience sample of all 84 birth center sites that participated in the AABC Site Survey and AABC Perinatal Data Registry between 2012 and 2020. Selected independent variables include staffing model (CNM/CM or CPM/LM), legal entity status, birth volume/year, and hours of midwifery call/week. Perinatal outcomes include rates of induction of labor, cesarean birth, exclusive breastfeeding, birthweight in pounds, low APGAR scores, and neonatal intensive care admission.

RESULTS

The birth center model of care is demonstrated to be safe and effective, across a variety of staffing and business models. Outcomes for both CNM/CM and CPM/LM models of care exceed national benchmarks for perinatal quality with low induction, cesarean, NICU admission, and high rates of breastfeeding. Within the sample of medically low-risk multiparas, variations in clinical outcomes were correlated with business characteristics of the birth center, specifically annual birth volume. Increased induction of labor and cesarean birth, with decreased success breastfeeding, were present within practices characterized as high volume (>200 births/year). The research demonstrates decreased access to the birth center model of care for Black and Hispanic populations.

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE

Between 2012 and 2020, 84 birth centers across the United States engaged in 90,580 episodes of perinatal care. Continued policy development is necessary to provide risk-appropriate care for populations of healthy, medically low-risk consumers.

American Midwifery Certification Board Certification Demographic and Employment Data, 2016 to 2020: The Certified Nurse-Midwife and Certified Midwife Workforce

INTRODUCTION

Expansion and diversification of the midwifery workforce is a federal strategy to address the maternal health crisis in the United States. Understanding characteristics of the current midwifery workforce is essential to creating approaches to its development. Certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives (CNMs/CMs) certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) constitute the largest portion of the US midwifery workforce. This article aims to describe the current midwifery workforce based on data collected from all AMCB-certified midwives at the time of certification.

METHODS

Midwife initial certificants and recertificants were administered an electronic survey about personal and practice characteristics at the time of certification by AMCB between 2016 and 2020 for administrative purposes. Given the standard 5-year certification cycle, every midwife certified during this period completed the survey once. The AMCB Research Committee conducted a secondary data analysis of deidentified data to describe the CNM/CM workforce.

RESULTS

In 2020 there were 12,997 CNMs/CMs in the United States. The workforce was largely White and female with an average age of 49. There has been a slow increase (15% to 21%) of initial certificants identifying as midwives of color. The proportion of CMs to all AMCB-certified midwives remained less than 2%. Physician-owned practices were the most common employer. Approximately 60% of midwives attend births, and hospitals were the most common birth setting. Over 10% of those certified to practice reported not working within the discipline of midwifery.

DISCUSSION

Targeted recruitment and retention of midwives must take into consideration not just expansion but dispersion, scope of practice, and diversification. The proportion of midwives attending births was lower than reported in previous years. Expansion of the CM credential and accessible educational pathways are 2 potential solutions to workforce growth. Developing strategies to retain those who are trained but not practicing presents an opportunity for workforce maintenance.

Giving birth in rural Arctic Greenland results from an Eastern Greenlandic birth cohort

Eastern Greenland is one of the most remote areas in the world. Approximately 3,500 people lives in two small towns and five villages. There is limited information on birth outcomes in Eastern Greenland. A cohort of all birthing women from Eastern Greenland from 2000 to 2017 was established and pregnancy, birth, and neonatal outcomes were described. A total of 1,344 women and 1,355 children were included in the cohort where 14.5% of the women were 18 years or younger, and 36.2% were single parents. Most women, 84.8% gave birth in East Greenland and 92.9%, experienced a vaginal, non-instrumental birth. The overall caesarean section rate was 6.5%. The rate of premature births was 10.1% and 2.2% of the children were born with malformations. The rate of premature births was high, preventive initiatives such as midwifery-led continuity of care including a stronger focus on the pregnant woman's social and mental life situation may be recommended. Organisation of maternity services in East Greenland may benefit from a strong focus on public health, culture, and setting specific challenges, including the birth traditions of the society.

CNM/CMs Fill the Gap in Rural Maternal Care

The United States is in the midst of a maternity care crisis. A key driver is workforce shortages, which impacts maternity care service delivery in rural areas significantly. The midwifery model of care remains underutilized. Midwifery care delivered by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives is heavily endorsed and supported in the extant literature, but no firm national actions have been taken to move recommendations into funding or practice. Certified nurse-midwives and Certified Midwives are able to care for low-risk pregnancies and are uniquely situated to address factors associated with social determinants of health in rural areas. One of the solutions to the rural maternity care crisis is scaling up the midwifery workforce. Individual, institutional, state, and federal factors are discussed.

Birth Center Breastfeeding Rates: A Literature Review

INTRODUCTION

Breastfeeding rates in the United States fall short of national targets and are marked by racial and ethnic disparities. Birth centers are associated with high rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration, yet no systematic review has compiled reported birth center breastfeeding data.

METHODS

A PRISMA-guided literature review was conducted in CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science to retrieve quantitative studies that reported breastfeeding data in birth centers. Inclusion criteria focused on English language studies published since 2011 with breastfeeding outcomes from birth centers in the United States.

RESULTS

Ten studies were included for analysis. Breastfeeding rates that exceeded actual and target national breastfeeding rates were reported among all 10 studies. Characteristics about breastfeeding outcomes were reported heterogeneously across the studies, which included a range of breastfeeding timepoints (immediately postpartum up to 6 weeks postpartum) and definitions of breastfeeding.

DISCUSSION

Although breastfeeding rates reported in birth centers are higher than national breastfeeding rates and targets, authors of the included studies did not explore or analyze these rates in-depth. Developing standard definitions and data collection may enhance research about breastfeeding outcomes in birth centers.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Giving birth in a birth center is associated with higher than national breastfeeding rates.

Bases para la estructuración de un modelo en salud rural en Arauca

Objetivo Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo la identificación de algunos modelos exitosos de atención en salud rural, que faciliten la construcción de un modelo de atención en salud rural con enfoque diferencial e intercultural para el departamento de Arauca, Colombia. Métodos Se realizó una revisión sistemática, a partir de bases de datos como BVS, PubMED, SciELO y LILACS. Resultados El principal hallazgo destaca la necesidad de construir un sistema de salud basado en un modelo de atención primaria en salud (APS) con enfoque comunitario. Para esto se requiere aplicar estrategias relacionadas con el talento humano, el manejo de redes de atención y otras, como el uso de herramientas tecnológicas; todas enfocadas a llevar una atención más eficiente y asequible, alineadas con el sistema de salud colombiano y adaptadas al departamento de Arauca.

Early Perinatal Workforce Adaptations to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The objective of this study was to describe the system's initial pandemic response from the perspectives of perinatal health workers and to identify opportunities for improved future preparedness. An exploratory survey was designed to identify perinatal practice changes and workforce challenges during the initial weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey included baseline data collection and weekly surveys. A total of 181 nurses, midwives, and physicians completed the baseline survey; 84% completed at least 1 weekly survey. Multiple practice changes were reported. About half of respondents (50.8%) felt the changes protected patients, but fewer (33.7%) felt the changes protected themselves. Most respondents providing out-of-hospital birth services (91.4%) reported increased requests for transfer to out-of-hospital birth. Reports of shortages of personnel and supplies occurred as early as the week ending March 23 and were reported by at least 10% of respondents through April 27. Shortages were reported by as many as 38.7% (personal protective equipment), 36.8% (supplies), and 18.5% (personnel) of respondents. This study identified several opportunities to improve the pandemic response. Evaluation of practice changes and timing of supply shortages reported during this emergency can be used to prepare evidence-based recommendations for the next pandemic.

Long-distance travel for birthing among Indigenous and non-Indigenous pregnant people in Canada

BACKGROUND:

For Indigenous Peoples in Canada, birthing on or near traditional territories in the presence of family and community is of foundational cultural and social importance. We aimed to evaluate the association between Indigenous identity and distance travelled for birth in Canada.

METHODS:

We obtained data from the Maternity Experiences Survey, a national population-based sample of new Canadian people aged 15 years or older who gave birth (defined as mothers) and were interviewed in 2006–2007. We compared Indigenous with non-Indigenous Canadian-born mothers and adjusted for geographic and sociodemographic factors and medical complications of pregnancy using multivariable logistic regression. We categorized the primary outcome, distance travelled for birth, as 0 to 49, 50 to 199 or 200 km or more.

RESULTS:

We included 3100 mothers living in rural or small urban areas, weighted to represent 31 100 (1800 Indigenous and 29 300 non-Indigenous Canadian-born mothers). We found that travelling 200 km or more for birth was more common among Indigenous compared with non-Indigenous mothers (9.8% v. 2.0%, odds ratio [OR] 5.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.52–8.48). In adjusted analyses, the association between Indigenous identity and travelling more than 200 km for birth was even stronger (adjusted OR 16.44, 95% CI 8.07–33.50) in rural regions; however, this was not observed in small urban regions (adjusted OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.37–2.91).

INTERPRETATION:

Indigenous people in Canada experience striking inequities in access to birth close to home compared with non-Indigenous people, primarily in rural areas and independently of medical complications of pregnancy. This suggests inequities are rooted in the geographic distribution of and proximal access to birthing facilities and providers for Indigenous people.

Rural resilience: The role of birth centers in the United States

PURPOSE

To explore the role of the birth center model of care in rural health and maternity care delivery in the United States.

METHODS

All childbearing families enrolled in care at an American Association of Birth Centers Perinatal Data Registry^TM user sites between 2012 and 2020 are included in this descriptive analysis.

FINDINGS

Between 2012 and 2020, 88 574 childbearing families enrolled in care with 82 American Association of Birth Centers Perinatal Data Registry^TM user sites. Quality outcomes exceeded national benchmarks across all geographic regions in both rural and urban settings. A stable and predictable rate of transfer to a higher level of care was demonstrated across geographic regions, with over half of the population remaining appropriate for birth center level of care throughout the perinatal episode of care. Controlling for socio demographic and medical risk factors, outcomes were as favorable for clients in rural areas compared with urban and suburban communities.

CONCLUSIONS

Rural populations cared for within the birth center model of care experienced high-quality outcomes.

HEALTH POLICY IMPLICATIONS

A major focus of the United States maternity care reform should be the expansion of access to birth center models of care, especially in underserved areas such as rural communities.