In the U.S., it is well known that there is a mother and infant mortality rate crisis among underserved populations. Mortality rates of Black mothers are significantly higher than white mothers, and the results are even worse among lower income, Black mothers. A creative and holistic solution to improve birthing outcomes can be found in the doula profession. Simply put, a doula is a patient advocate for pregnant and birthing individuals. Doulas are not medical professionals, but are trained to provide support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum life adjustments. A step that should be taken to improve birthing outcomes and close the mortality gap is to expand Medicaid coverage to include doula services. New York, Oregon, and Minnesota have already implemented this policy to reap the financial rewards. Multiple studies show that the use of doulas is highly effective at lowering overall health expenditures for Medicaid recipients. Firstly, having a doula results in better health outcomes. There is a much lower chance of pregnancy complications or the need of invasive procedures. Doulas also provide lactation support which has been shown to improve infant health. This translates to less money being spent on needed surgeries during birth or future health issues. Lastly, doulas significantly decrease rates of postpartum depression. Improved physical and mental health means that more women will likely return to the workforce sooner. In all, the use of doulas will decrease spending on medical expenditures and alleviate the racial gap of maternal mortality.

Abi would like to thank her faculty sponsor Dr. Amanda Izzo for their support of this project.