This book provides essential knowledge and tools for home visitors and other parent-facing professionals to build trusting relationships with pregnant and postpartum clients, in order to provide them with the information, guidance, resources, and signposting they need to avoid adverse health outcomes. Adverse health outcomes as a result of pregnancy and birth affect millions each year, affecting physical and mental health – and in some cases resulting in death. Due to systemic bias and persistent socioeconomic disparities, certain groups are more at risk for these poor outcomes, including people of color, especially Black people; people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people; and disabled people.
Sitting within a social determinants of health framework, this practical guide summarizes the most relevant research and translates it into action steps. Each chapter will address a key issue related to morbidity and mortality in relation to pregnancy and birth, including statistics, key definitions, and discussion of risk factors, protective factors and disparities. Case studies, reflective questions, and recommendations make it straightforward for the reader to apply the learning to their own practice.
This book is an invaluable resource for all those health, community, and social service providers, including home visitors, who work with families, parents to be, and new parents.
This book provides essential knowledge and tools for home visitors and other parent-facing professionals to build trusting relationships with birthing people, in order to provide them with the information, guidance, resources and signposting they need to avoid adverse health outcomes.
1. Introduction to Pregnancy and Birth-Related Health Outcomes ,
2.
Physical Health Problems and Complications During Pregnancy, the Postpartum
Period, and the First Year of Life ,
3. Mental Health During Pregnancy and
the Postpartum Period ,
4. Substance Use During Pregnancy and the Postpartum
Period ,
5. Death During Pregnancy, the Postpartum Period, and the First Year
of Life,
6. Healthcare During the Preconception Period and Pregnancy ,
7.
Healthcare During Childbirth and the Postpartum Period ,
8. Healthcare and
Breastfeeding During the First Year of Life ,
9. Supporting Healthy
Lifestyles and Relationships ,
10. Synthesis and Call to Action
Christina F. Mondi is Lead Researcher and Evaluator at the Brazelton Touchpoints Center and Instructor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, USA.
Joanne Roberts is Deputy Director of Research and Evaluation at the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, USA, as well as a former home visitor. Lindsey Sagasta is Lead Epidemiologist at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, USA.
Lindsey Sagasta
Catherine Ayoub is Director of Research and Evaluation at the Brazelton Touchpoints Center and Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, USA.
Lindsey Boyer
Jillian Brashear, MPH, is a Research Coordinator at Brazelton Touchpoints Center. As part of the research and evaluation team, she supports community-based research projects focused on improving health outcomes and program quality from the perinatal period through early childhood. With a background in epidemiology and maternal and child health, she is passionate about the intersection of data and storytelling to address the social determinants of health affecting families and communities.
Allison Kemner Chief Research Officer and Senior Vice President at the Parents as Teachers National Center, USA.
Sondra Horowitz is Senior Director of Quality Improvement at the Parents as Teachers National Center, USA.
Lindsey Shah, MSW, LCSW is the Director of Content and Curricula at Parents as Teachers National Center. Her work focuses on providing high quality, research-based information, strategies, and tools to support family engagement and home visiting professionals across the county. She is the lead author on Parents as Teachers publication Engaged: Building Intentional Partnerships with Families.
Kerry Caverly is Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer at the Parents as Teachers National Center, USA.
Abigail Edwards holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Behavioral Science and Health Education/Epidemiology and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health/Bioethics and Health Studies from Saint Louis University. She is Certified in Public Health (CPH) and currently serves as Research and Data Specialist at Parents as Teachers National Center where she helps guide the organization's research and learning initiatives including a project integrating doula services within the evidence-based home visiting model.
