ABSTRACTS OF FEATURE ARTICLES

Eve's Foundation: A Tool for the Reduction of Maternal/Infant Morbidity/Mortality Rates in Ghana
by Florence Okra
In the developed nations of the world pregnant women and couples often have a wide variety of educational resources to draw upon as they approach parenthood. Unlike women and men in developed nations, however, very few expectant parents in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to comprehensive childbirth education services. Through my work I realized how great my clients' need for reproductive health education was, and how the already strained staff was unable to provide it to everyone who needed it. I initiated Eve's Foundation as an intervention tool.

Teachng Prepared Childbirth to Women in Prison
by Ella Laura Johannaber
The childbirth educator faces unique challenges when teaching women in prison. The policies and practices of most U.S. prison institutions directly undermine a woman in her role as mother, do not support a family-centered philosophy of birth, nor do they allow for mother/infant bonding. We can begin to address these issues and become catalysts for change by being present within the system. This article shares one woman's experiences in teaching prepared childbirth and prenatal yoga to women in prison and encourages others to be more aware and involved.

Mama Doula
by Christine Morgan
This article tells about the self-sacrificing efforts of one doula who set up an entire program with volunteer doulas to provide labor support to incarcerated women. Due to security reasons, these incarcerated women would labor and deliver only with the assistance of the busy hospital staff. The article tells how this humble doula won the support of the prison personnel and the hospital personnel for this program. Through her efforts she also won respect from the inmates who affectionately referred to her as "Mama Doula." The article emphasizes the importance of sacrifice and serving those who are too often overlooked.

Where Does Breastfeeding Start?
by Isabel Puyol and Cheryl Adams
ICCEs Cheryl Adams of Selmer, Tennessee, and Isabel Puyol of Cuenca, Ecuador, teamed up in March 2005 to improve outcomes for breastfeeding mothers at La Clinical Humanitaria Pablo Jaramillo in Cuenca. They presented two two-day seminars to the nursing staff and met with the physicians of the clinic. They were able to increase staff awareness and knowledge of breastfeeding and provide frameworks for protocols on breastfeeding management. They feel that seminars such as these should be offered in the United States as well as third world countries and that childbirth educators can play a large role in the education of students and professionals alike.

Domestic Violence in Pregnancy
by Linda L. Bellig
This article defines domestic violence and introduces the global scope of the problem. Theories for why pregnant women are victims of violence are provided and the characteristics of these women are identified. The importance of assessment for domestic violence of women is stressed and recommendations for the assessment are included. Interventions for the pregnant woman experiencing domestic violence are introduced. Health care providers have a responsibility to help identify these victims and assist with their subsequent care.

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Initiation of a Nurse-Developed Interdisciplinary Plan of Care for Opiate Addiction in Pregnant Women and Their Infants
by Pamela Dodge, Margaret Brody, and Bawn Maguire
Three nurse leaders formed an interdisciplinary quality improvement team to address the care of pregnant opiate-addicted women and their infants when unexpected changes in provider capacity impacted their hospital. The nurses took action to bring together providers and support personnel from the hospital, healthcare system, and community to meet the challenges of providing appropriate care. The team has been successful in the citywide standardization of treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome, patient and staff education, and implementation of a model of care that spans the care continuum.

Cultural Expectations of Muslims and Orthodox Jews in Regard to Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
by Linda Cassar
As providers of perinatal care in the United States, we come in contact with women from a wide variety of ethnic and religious groups. How rewarding for us and gratifying for our clients when we can incorporate their values and beliefs into the care that we provide for them. This article deals with the religious and cultural beliefs of Orthodox Jewish and Muslim as they relate to pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period. Even though these groups are at times at odds with each other, their belief systems regarding this special time in their lives have many similarities. By familiarizing ourselves with some of the beliefs and practices of this group of women, we can give them the most rewarding childbirth experience possible.

Oklahoma Medical Center's Spanish-Speaking Childbirth Program
by V. Lynn Waters
High birth rates and continuing immigration make the Hispanic population the fastest growing and greatest minority in the United States. Since 1980, the number of Hispanics has grown five times faster than the rest of the population, which makes the United States the third-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Women who participate in childbirth classes benefit from the education interaction, and from the relationships they build with other expectant women. Lack of such vital information and interaction potentially prevents women from receiving the information needed concerning pregnancy and delivery. Ultimately, this lack of information, choice, and education can lead to poor outcomes for both mother and infant, increasing the potential for mortality and morbidity. It is imperative to provide childbirth education in a language that is understood by the client, and that is sensitive to her cultural perspective. Spanish-speaking classes are very important to ensure that the families we serve have the information they need.

The Wild Bunch Go to Convention
by Jan Sheridan

ICEA Alternate Contact Hours Program: Cultural Expectations of Muslims and Orthodox Jews