Post-partum Care in the NICU (PeliCaN)

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Postpartum Period

Treatments: Other: Doula-coordinated, midwife-delivered postpartum care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05510284

851606

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a pilot randomized control trial to demonstrate the feasibility of a novel model of dyad-centered, doula-coordinated, midwife-delivered postpartum care located in the NICU in a large urban hospital.

Enrollment: 37 patients

Sex: Female

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Preterm birth <34 weeks
• Signed medical record release form

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to read or sign informed consent
• If the medical team believes that the infant may die or be transferred to another hospital in upcoming weeks
• PI Discretion

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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37 participants in 2 patient groups

Doula Coordinated-Care Arm

Active Comparator group

Description:

Postpartum care will be doula-coordinated. The doula will meet with the mother at least once a week during their infant's NICU stay, with a minimum of 3 meetings. Participants will be given the option of seeing the study nurse midwife or their own provider. If the participant opts to see the nurse midwife, they can meet in a private office located in the NICU. The doula, as typical of the doula role, will coordinate any needed community services in the transition to home.

Treatment:

Other: Doula-coordinated, midwife-delivered postpartum care

Standard Postpartum Care Arm

No Intervention group

Description:

In this arm participants will receive usual postpartum care. They will be discharged from the hospital while their baby is still in the NICU and a plan will be made to for follow-up with their provider as an outpatient at some point in the next 6 weeks. The study coordinator will provide the participant with a community postpartum resources list.