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Abstract:
The "Adopt-A-Mom" program of Guilford County, NC recently created the pilot "Moms Matter" support group to supplement the prenatal education that pregnant immigrant women receive through the Adopt-A-Mom program. This report describes the preliminary outcomes of a formative evaluation of this trial program and future implications for childbirth educators to consider in the development of pregnancy support programs for immigrant populations. Implementing culturally competent support and prenatal education programs for pregnant immigrant women should take priority among childbirth educators and community health centers for the improvement of maternal and infant health of US immigrant populations.
Keywords: cultural competence, pregnancy, immigrant, childbirth education, prenatal care
Immigrant populations in the US are growing at a fast pace, as new immigrant arrivals plus births in the US account for a national population increase of 2.3 million people per year (Camarota, 2005). Overall, 8.2 million children were born to immigrant mothers over the past 10 years (Camarota, 2010). In response to the prenatal care needs of the rapidly increasing immigrant populations in North Carolina, Guilford County's "Adopt-A-Mom" program helps increase access to prenatal services. During the program's 20-year history, more than 80% of the patient population has been comprised of immigrant mothers representing over 100 nationalities (Adopt-A-Mom, 2010; 2011). In order to enhance prenatal and postnatal education for these immigrant mothers, the staff members of the Adopt-A-Mom program started the "Moms Matter" group in 2010. This pilot pregnancy support group provides monthly opportunities tor expectant immigrant mothers to learn about childbirth topics, nutrition, parenting, and the importance of seeking health care.
This article serves the following purposes for childbirth educators: 1) describe the development of the Moms Matter support group; 2) illustrate the effects of incorporating cultural competence and social support in childbirth education and complications that local immigrant mothers face in obtaining postnatal care; and 3) suggest implications for the future development of pregnancy support programs for diverse immigrant populations. This article also illustrates the points with a case study of Tara, an immigrant mother who took part in the Moms Matter group. As immigrant populations continue to grow, implementing culturally competent support and prenatal education for pregnant immigrant women will take priority among childbirth educators and community health centers in the US.
Background of Prenatal...