We collaborated with the University of North Texas Health Science Center's (UNTHSC) Texas Center for Health Disparities which was funded by the EXPORT Center grant from the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Amon Carter Foundation to pilot the first study looking at African American birth outcomes in Tarrant County.

We hired 4 Aintie-Tias, community-based doulas, to support our highest risk pregnant women in Tarrant County; African American women 18 and older.  Without regards to income or education level, the Aintie-Tias educated and empowered women and their families to bring healthy babies to our community by:

• Prenatal education
• Labor support reducing risk of c-section, labor time and pain
• Breastfeeding support
• Infant care education
• Linking families with additional resources
  

The Aintie-Tia Program not only produced the first certified African American doulas in Tarrant County but African American Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators as well.

Impact

Out of 108 referrals:

87 participants

100% African American

Age Breakdown; 44% 18-21, 44% 22-30, 10% 30+

    93% of babies born above low birth weight
            6.87 lbs  average birth weight 
            39 weeks average gestational age 
            13%  c-section previous c-section/ 3%  VBAC
            13%  1st time c-section
            74%  vaginal birth

    70% of participants breastfed their babies!!!

The Aintie-Tias held 7 free childbirth education classes in the last year with almost 100 participants (98)!  The class participants ranged from teenage moms with their moms as birth partners to husband and wife teams.  They ranged in age, race, income and education level.  We were able to host the classes free of charge through the support of Lamaze International and Harris Methodist Health Foundation.

We will be using the Health Connect One’s (formerly Chicago Health Connection model) community-based doula model to train more Aintie-Tias.  Now that we have experienced Aintie-Tias on staff, we have identified the key components to successfully provide community-based doula support to pregnant women in our community.  We have condense the training sessions from 20 to 10 3-hour sessions.

We plan to recruit and train 10 new Aintie-Tias who endeavor to support pregnant women whose babies are dying at the highest rate; African American women and teens of all races.