Healio points us to a report from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) on the results of Strong Start, a package of strategies to improve maternal-child health in low-income women. The package consisted of:
- “Group Care – Group prenatal care that incorporates peer-to-peer support in a facilitated setting for three components: health assessment, education, and support.
- Birth Centers – Comprehensive prenatal care facilitated by midwives and teams of health professionals, including peer counselors and doulas.
- Maternity Care Homes – Enhanced prenatal care at traditional prenatal sites with enhanced continuity of care and expanded access to care coordination, education, and other services.”
Women in the program had preterm birth rates similar to the general population despite being at higher risk and lower preterm birth rates than in their racial/ethnic groups. They were also less likely to deliver by cesarean, more likely to breastfeed, and more likely to have a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) than the national average.
The Take-Away: Midwifery-model care works, medical-model management not so much.
