Postpartum Gray Literature

Items in this list may be obtained from the sources cited. Contact information reflects the most current data about the source that has been provided to the MCH Digital Library.

Displaying records 1 through 5 (5 total).

Hernandez-Cancio S, Gray V. 2021. Racism hurts moms and babies. Washington, D.C.: National Partnership for Women and Families; National Birth Equaity Collaborative , 7 pp. (Moms and Babies )

Annotation: This publication explores the link between interpersonal and community-level racism and its impact on preterm birth, lower gestational age at birth, and infant low birth weight. Rather than focusing on individual behaviors that put pregnant people of color at higher risk of poor health outcomes, the authors describe how the toxic stress of racism affects physiological processes. One in a ten-part series of publications titled Saving the Lives of Mothers and Babies produced jointly by the National Partnership for Women and Families and the National Birth Equity Collaborative.

Keywords: Blacks, Infant health, Low birthweight, Maternal health, Pregnancy, Preterm birth, Racial factors, Racism, Risk factors

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2023. Raising the bar for maternal health equity and excellence. Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families,

Annotation: This actionable guide is designed to support health institutions in creating a tailored approach to providing equitable, high-quality care tailored to the needs of individual birthing families. The guide is organized according to four core roles that healthcare provider institutions play (as providers, employers, community partners, and advocates) and provides details about the importance of each role in advancing maternal health. Included are suggestions for decision makers on how to catalog and assess work and a menu of action items decision makers can execute.

Keywords: Health equity, Maternal health, Professional education, Quality assurance

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2019. Tackling maternal health disparities: A look at four local organizations with innovative approaches . Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 18 pp.

Annotation: This issue brief highlights four community-based maternal care programs from across the country and describes how these model programs can help reduce maternal health disparities. The brief includeds background information, a description of the care model, and outcome measures for each of the model programs and offers recommendations to support and expand such programs.

Keywords: Community based services, Community programs, Health care disparities, Health equity, Initiatives, Maternal health, Models , Perinatal care

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2023. Black women's maternal health . Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 17 pp.

Annotation: This issue brief highlights the increased risk of maternal morbidity and mortality among Black women; explores the drivers that contribute to the Black maternal health crisis, and recommends strategies to transform the delivery of Black maternal health care to improve health outcomes. Providing culturally-centered care by diverse health teams; destigmatizing and treating Black maternal mental health; protect and expand access to reproductive health care; eliminating economic inequities; and collecting and using intersectional data are among the approaches highlighted. The brief also discusses the importance of community, describing how shared resistance, resilience, and joy help define Black maternal health.

Keywords: Blacks, Health care disparities, Health equity, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Prevention

National Partnership for Women and Families. 2022. Improving our maternity care now through doula support . Washington, DC: National Partnership for Women and Families, 52 pp.

Annotation: This report addresses the severe maternal health crisis in the United States, noting that increasing rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity disproportionately affect Indigenous, Black, and other Communities of color and people with low incomes. The document promotes doula support as an effective model to improve care quality and outcomes. It presents evidence that continuous support by doulas during childbirth is associated with benefits such as increased likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth and fewer cesarean births, while the extended model (including prenatal and postpartum support) is linked to reduced preterm birth, low birthweight, and improved breastfeeding outcomes. The report discusses different models, including private-pay and longitudinal community-based doula support, emphasizing the importance of culturally congruent, trauma-informed care within a birth justice framework. Major topics covered include barriers to access, such as insufficient Medicaid and private insurance reimbursement and inadequate compensation for doulas, as well as the implications of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The document features detailed recommendations for federal and state policymakers and private-sector decisionmakers on covering doula services and supporting the workforce, and includes a comprehensive Resource directory

Keywords: Access to care, Barriers, Childbirth, Doulas, Health equity, Maternal health, Models, Policy development