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Old News
Childbirth Connection has accomplished many
goals and hit many milestones. Below you will find selected highlights
from our past work to promote evidence-based maternity care.
The National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition Interviews Director of Programs
Our director of programs, Carol Sakala, PhD, MSPH, was interviewed
by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition for
her work in leading the analysis of over 300 studies comparing cesarean
section and vaginal birth outcomes, the only one of its kind to date. The review was used to produce our educational booklet, What Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know About Cesarean Section. HMHB was one of over
25 organizations to endorse the booklet from the onset. A recognized leader
and resource in maternal and child health, HMHB reaches an estimated
ten million health care professionals, parents and policymakers through
its membership of over 100 local, state and national organizations.
Go to the interview 
What Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know About Cesarean Section
Other booklet endorsers
 Executive Director Spoke at The New York Academy of Medicine
On
June 14, 2006, Childbirth Connection's Executive Director, Maureen
Corry, was a speaker at The New York Academy of
Medicine's conference, "Seeking the Perfect Baby through
Cesarean Delivery: What's at Stake?" The conference addressed the medical, legal
and ethical concerns in forced cesareans and cesareans on
request. Maureen shared new data on new mother's cesarean
views and experiences from our national Listening to Mothers survey.
Learn more about our Listening to Mothers survey
Director of Programs Speaks at Bronx Perinatal Information Network
Childbirth Connection's Director of Programs, Carol Sakala, was the
invited speaker at the 2006 annual forum of the Bronx Perinatal
Information Network on May 31, 2006. She provided an update about
cesarean section, focusing on results from two of Childbirth
Connection's research projects: a systematic review to compare harms of
cesarean and vaginal birth and the second national Listening to Mothers
survey. She also discussed the recent NIH State-of-the-Science
Conference on cesarean section. Following the talk, the group
developed a plan for community involvement and consumer education about
this important maternity issue.
Go to the systematic review 
Childbirth Connection Attended National Institutes of Health (NIH) Meeting
On
March 27-29, 2006, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) held a
state-of-the-science conference entitled "Cesarean Delivery on Maternal
Request." At the end of the meeting, a multi-disciplinary panel issued
a statement, also called "Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request," about
results presented and discussed at the conference. Childbirth
Connection leaders have been following this process since the planning
stage of the report. Childbirth Connection's Executive Director Maureen
P. Corry and Director of Programs Carol Sakala, as well as board
members Dee Jeffers, Deanne Williams and Linda Mayberry, attended the
recent NIH meeting in Bethesda, MD.
Learn more on our special Alert on interpreting formal and media reports here
Childbirth Connection Provides Content for a Continuing Medical Education Program
In the Fall of 2005, Medscape, a leading provider of continuing
medical education (CME), posted a new CME program on its website. This
program, "Complications of Cesarean Deliveries," by Peter Bernstein,
MD, is based on Childbirth Connection's 2004 systematic review. This is
the first time that our work has been featured as a CME program and
gives us the potential to reach many thousands of physicians and other
health professionals worldwide with the best scientific information to
practice safe and effective care and provide women with the information
they need for truly informed consent or refusal.
NYC Public Advocate's Press Conference Questions NY Private/Public Hospitals
Maureen Corry of Childbirth Connection, (left) pictured with
NYC Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. | In front of Lenox Hill Hospital on a rainy July 13th, 2005, New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum
held a press conference to release a report denouncing the failure of
43 out of the 44 New York City public and private hospitals to provide
legally mandated information about rates of maternity interventions
upon request, as required by the Maternity Information Act.
Ms. Gotbaum questioned the rising cesarean rate in New York City, asking "What are [New York City Hospitals] trying to hide?"
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The report titled A Mother's Right to Know, highlighted the disregard of the Maternity Information Act and
called specific attention to the rising cesarean rate. None of the New
York City hospitals could provide representatives of the Public
Advocate with any maternity data, except one, which dated back to 1998.
In addition to the Public Advocate, Maureen Corry,
Executive Director of Childbirth Connection (then known as Maternity
Center Association), shared findings on our analysis of over 300
studies comparing the risks of cesarean section versus vaginal birth as
published in our booklet, What Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know About Cesarean Section. Also presenting was Elan McAllister of Choices in Childbirth,
whose efforts to gain access to public records of hospital maternity
intervention rates grabbed the attention of the Public Advocate.
Also in attendance was Doris Haire,
author of the Maternity Information Act, which was enacted into law in
New York State in 1989, as well as in Massachusetts.
The Maternity Information Act requires that statistics on medical
interventions during labor and delivery be made available in leaflet
format to the public with information relative to the hospitals they
are considering for the birth of their babies. Included in the measured
rates are the frequency with which cesarean section, induction of
labor, episiotomy, and other procedures are preformed.
Ms. Gotbaum zeroed in on the "alarmingly high" c-section rates across
the country and in New York City, stating: "This is unacceptable. We've
got hospitals all over the city that are delivering a third of their
babies by c-section." She also declared: "It is critical that expectant
parents have access to all data relating to c-sections."
"The best evidence is clear: unless there's a compelling and
well-supported reason for cesarean section, vaginal birth is the safest
way for women to give birth and babies to be born," said Ms. Corry. See
more comments made on behalf of Childbirth Connection in a 7/13/05 New York Times article on the rising rate of c-sections in New York City and the rest of the country.
Go to the website of the Public Advocate of the City of New York
More on the Maternity Information Act
Go to Choices in Childbirth
More on Doris Haire
Download Choices in Childbirth's A Mother's Right to Know (PDF)
Download the Public Advocate's "New York City Hospital Maternity Information" (PDF)
Go to What Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know About Cesarean Section
Get Maureen Corry's remarks
Get Elan McAllister's remarks
Get recent Massachusetts maternity statistics
Doulas of North America Grants 2003 Research Award
Doulas
of North America (DONA) presented Childbirth Connection (then known as Maternity Center Association) with
its first John Kennell and Marshall Klaus Doula Spirit Award for
Research at DONA's annual meeting in July, 2003. The award recognizes
Childbirth Connection's historic Listening to Mothers survey, which enables a new level of understanding about many dimensions of the maternity experience in the United States.
Listening to Mothers
was the first survey of women's childbearing experiences at the
national level in the U.S. Childbirth Connection conducted this survey in 2002 with the
assistance of Harris Interactive. The survey was carried out with the guidance of the Listening to Mothers
National Advisory Council, which included representatives from leading
national organizations involved with maternal and child health.
Professor Eugene Declercq chaired this Council and was the lead author
of the survey report. The survey is a part of Childbirth Connection's ongoing Listening to Mothers Initiative, which helps ensure that women's needs and experiences are used to shape maternity policies, programs and services.
Go to the Listening to Mothers survey
More on our Listening to Mothers Initiative
Lamaze International Grants 2001 Research Award
Lamaze
International presented Childbirth Connection (then known as Maternity Center Association) with its
Research Award at the childbirth education group's annual meeting in
October, 2001. The award recognizes Childbirth Connection's Maternity Wise, which helps ensure that maternity care decisions are informed by the best available research.
Presenters made special note of Childbirth Connection's labor pain initiative.
In May, 2001, Childbirth Connection held "The Nature and Management of Labor Pain: An
Evidence-based Symposium." Those present at this multi-disciplinary
invitational meeting heard and discussed rigorous reviews of the best
available research about labor pain, including benefits and risks of
various methods for labor pain relief. Several Lamaze leaders who
attended the symposium featured data and issues from the symposium in
educational sessions at the Lamaze meeting and encouraged childbirth
educators to consider the symposium papers as a core childbirth
education resource. The peer-reviewed papers were published as a
special supplement to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in May, 2002.
Since 1960, Lamaze has educated and certified over 11,000 childbirth
educators, who have in turn supported millions of childbearing
families.
Learn more our labor pain initiative here
Go to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
New Edition of Your Guide to Safe and Effective Care During Labor and Birth Issued
An updated edition of A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth,
was published in 2000 (third edition, Oxford University Press). As soon
as this leading manual on evidence-based maternity care became
available, Childbirth Connection (then known as Maternity Center Associaion) used the book's
state-of-the-science conclusions to update Childbirth Connection's own publication, Your Guide to Safe and Effective Care During Labor and Birth.
This publication provides an introduction to the concept of
"evidence-based maternity care" and helps childbearing women learn
about the safety and effectiveness of practices that are commonly used
with healthy, low-risk women during labor and birth.
Buy Your Guide to Safe and Effective Care During Labor and Birth
Maternity Wise Website Launches
In May, 2001, Childbirth Connection (then known as Maternity Center Association) unveiled the Maternity Wise
website to help women learn about safe and effective maternity care and
make informed maternity care decisions. The site is a core
element of Childbirth Connection's long-term national program to
promote evidence-based maternity care.
More about our evidence-based program
Pain SymposiumIn May 2001, Childbirth Connection (then known
as Maternity Center Association) and The New York Academy of Medicine
jointly sponsored an invitational meeting, "The Nature and Management of Labor Pain: An Evidence-based Symposium."
The symposium is the first core activity in Childbirth Connection's long-term project to
promote the use of safe and effective pain relief methods during labor.
Learn more about the "The Nature and Management of Labor Pain: An Evidence-based Symposium" here
Jacquelyn Griggs Receives Hazel Corbin Grant 2000Childbirth Connection (then known as Maternity Center Association) gives its annual Hazel Corbin Grant
to a midwifery
student in honor of the woman who served as General Director of
Childbirth Connection, when it was known as Maternity Center
Association, for 42 years.
When Childbirth Connection's Maternity Wise program was started in 1999, the award was refocused
to support a midwifery student's research project in the area of evidence-based midwifery
care. Although the results of outcome studies of midwifery care are impressive, the safety
and effectiveness of many elements of midwifery care have not been adequately evaluated.
Improved understanding of the effects of specific midwifery practices will contribute to
the quality of midwifery care and provide useful knowledge for other providers of
maternity care.
Childbirth Connection is pleased to announce that Jacquelyn Griggs is the first winner of this refocused
award. Ms. Griggs is enrolled in the midwifery education program at the University of
Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. She is conducting a randomized controlled trial to
consider whether maternal positioning rotates babies in the "occiput posterior" position.
This simple intervention has the potential to increase women's comfort (reduce "back
labor") and satisfaction, shorten labor, and reduce the need for such interventions as
vacuum extraction and cesarean section.
Learn more about the Hazel Corbin Grant here
Maternity Wise Introduced to Public Health Professionals
In November 2000, Childbirth Connection staff (then known as Maternity
Center Association) introduced the public health community to the
organization's new program to promote evidence-based maternity care at
the annual
meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Many visitors
picked up
complimentary public education materials and talked with Childbirth
Connection staff at the new Maternity Wise booth in the exhibits hall. Executive director Maureen Corry and director of
programs Carol Sakala presented four papers in a scientific session about evidence-based
maternity care. Childbirth Connection also co-sponsored a participatory workshop on this topic with the
APHA Maternal and Child Health Section. Childbirth Connection plans similar outreach at meetings of
other health professionals in the future.
Most recent page update: 12/13/2006
© 2013 Childbirth Connection. All rights reserved.
Childbirth Connection is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1918 as Maternity Center Association. Our mission is to improve the quality and value of maternity care through consumer engagement and health system transformation. Childbirth Connection promotes safe, effective and satisfying evidence-based maternity care and is a voice for the needs and interests of childbearing families.
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News and Features
Listening to MothersSM III is the third national
survey exploring women’s experiences in pregnancy and childbirth.
Commissioned by Childbirth Connection, conducted by Harris Interactive, and
funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the survey polled 2,400 women who gave
birth in U.S. hospitals from 2011 to 2012. Results show that medically
intensive experiences are typical, and evidence-based practices are
underutilized. Childbearing women need better support and knowledge to
navigate their maternity care.
Access the full report and supplementary materials New Report: Maternity Care and
LiabilityGo to
report and supporting materials New Report: The Cost of Having a Baby in the United
StatesGo to report
and supporting materials New Cesarean Resources:Go to Best Evidence Report Go to web pages and booklet for women 
For 95 years, Childbirth Connection has been dedicated to improving the
quality and value of maternity care for all women and their families. Learn
more about our rich history through our interactive
timeline and give
$95 for 95 in honor of
our 95th birthday.
Childbirth Connection works to ensure that all women and babies get the best
possible maternity care. We have the collective vision and we know how to get
there, but we can't do it alone. Join the transformation
today.
Help Transform Maternity Care!
 Please join our efforts to make quality
maternity care a top national priority. Your support will help make the
transformation possible.
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