Community-Partnered Doula Support for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Families

Conditions

• Doula Support
• Infant Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

FEMALE

Age

18 Years - N/A

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Enhanced doula support — BEHAVIORAL
  The doula intervention will be delivered by a dedicated postpartum NICU doula. The postpartum doula will provide one-on-one support at least weekly for a period of six weeks, to intensively engage and support participants, reinforce health behavior education, and screen for and help families to access quality medical care, mental health and social needs support.

Study Details

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if pairing families who have a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with a community doula improves stress. The main questions it aims to answer are: Researchers will compare stress levels among families with a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit who are paired with a community doula compared to those who receive standard care. Participants will: Complete baseline surveys and physical assessments (blood pressure and blood sample collection) and again after six weeks If they are randomized to receive doula support, they will meet with the doula weekly to receive additional parental support for six weeks

Key Dates

Start date

Mar 10, 2026

Status verified

Mar 2026

Primary completion

Dec 1, 2026

Completion

Dec 1, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment

60 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Arms

• No Intervention: Standard Care
  Participants will receive usual clinical care with a baby admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Experimental: Enhanced doula support
  The doula intervention will be delivered by a dedicated postpartum NICU doula. The postpartum doula will provide one-on-one support at least weekly for a period of six weeks, to intensively engage and support participants, reinforce health behavior education, and screen for and help families to access quality medical care, mental health and social needs support.

Primary Outcome Measure

Maternal stress [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]

Central Contacts

• Alisse Hauspurg, MD
  401-274-1122
  [email protected]
• Sarbattama Sen, MD
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

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