R 176

2019 -- H 5929 Enacted 03/28/2019

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CELEBRATING THE WEEK OF MARCH 22ND THROUGH MARCH 28TH, 2019, AS "WORLD DOULA WEEK" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By: Representatives Ranglin-Vassell, Williams, Cassar, Kislak, and Filippi

Date Introduced: March 28, 2019

WHEREAS, In the United States, maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the

developed world and increased by twenty-six and six tenths percent between 2000 and 2014; and

WHEREAS, Of the four million American women who give birth each year, about seven

hundred suffer fatal complications during pregnancy, while giving birth, or during the postpartum

period, and an additional fifty thousand are severely injured; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that half of the maternal mortalities in the United States could

be prevented and half of the maternal injuries in the United States could be reduced or eliminated

with better care; and

WHEREAS, Doulas are professionals trained to care for and support families during the

pregnancy, labor, and birth by providing emotional, physical, and instructional support with

traditional comfort measures and educational materials, as well as assistance during the transition

to parenthood in the initial postpartum period through home visits; and

WHEREAS, Birth doulas respect a family’s individual beliefs and needs. A growing

body of evidence indicates that stress from racism and racial discrimination results in conditions -

- including hypertension and pre-eclampsia -- that contribute to poor maternal health outcomes

among black women; and

WHEREAS, Black women in the United States suffer from life-threatening pregnancy

complications twice as often as their white counterparts and their risk of maternal mortality has

remained higher than white women’s risk for the past six decades; and

WHEREAS, In addition, studies in Oregon, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have shown that

using a doula can save money; and

WHEREAS, Currently in the United States, one in three births is a C-section. They cost

about fifty percent more than conventional births. Using a doula reduces the chances of the need

for a C-section by twenty-five percent; and

WHEREAS, According to the manuscript entitled “modeling the cost effectiveness of

doula care associated with reductions in preterm birth and cesarean delivery”, in Minnesota,

women who received doula support had lower preterm and cesarean birth rates than Medicaid

beneficiaries regionally (4.7 percent vs. 6.3 percent, and 20.4 percent vs. 34.2 percent). Data has

shown that women with doula care have had twenty-two percent lower odds of preterm birth.

Cost-effectiveness analyses indicate potential savings associated with doula support reimbursed at

an average of nine hundred eighty six dollars (ranging from nine hundred twenty-nine dollars to

one thousand forty-seven dollars across states); now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House hereby celebrates the week of March 22nd through March

28th, 2019, as "World Doula Week" in the State of Rhode Island and recognizes the vital need

and usefulness of perinatal doula services in order to provide medical assistance health care for

expectant mothers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Doulas of Rhode Island, Open Circle Rhode

Island, and Rhode Island Doula Services.

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LC002307

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