2019 -- H 5929

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LC002307

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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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

     Referred To: House read and passed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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with better care; and

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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among black women; and

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

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

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

 

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

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using a doula can save money; and

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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expectant mothers; and be it further

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

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

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Island, and Rhode Island Doula Services.

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LC002307

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