Medical Information Only. Always consult your healthcare provider before enrolling in any clinical trial.
Best Beginnings for Babies Birth Sister Program Evaluation
NCT02550730 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
Peer support during labor, birth and the perinatal period (also known as "doula" support) has been shown in some studies to reduce cesarean rates, postpartum depression and increase breastfeeding rates. The purpose of this program evaluation is to prospectively assess the clinical and cost outcomes of Boston Medical Center's Birth Sister doula program, one of the few established, hospital-based programs in the United States. To enhance the capability of the Birth Sisters Program to impact social determinants of perinatal health in a low-income population, the program evaluation will include the addition of Medical Legal Partnership for Children's (MLP) training and referral services. This program will be described as the Birth Sisters Best Beginnings services (BBB). The evaluation will compare the effects of BBB compared with no Birth Sister support for women receiving maternity care at Boston Medical Center. Eligible women will be randomly assigned either BBB services or usual care. All women will be consented and interviewed in the mid-second trimester of pregnancy and interviewed again at 6-8 weeks postpartum. Women randomized to the BBB will be offered 8 prenatal Birth Sister visits in the home or at Boston Medical Center starting at 6 months of pregnancy, continuous support through labor and birth, and up to 4 postpartum Birth Sister visits in the home or at Boston Medical Center. The usual care group will receive no birth sister support but does have access to standard interdisciplinary maternity care services. The primary outcomes will be reduction in cesarean rate. Secondary outcomes will include cost, labor interventions, infant outcomes, satisfaction with care and psychosocial outcomes, including depression, social functioning and self-efficacy.
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- BEHAVIORAL Birth Sisters Best Beginnings for Babies
- OTHER Usual maternity care
Study Locations (1)
Massachusetts
- Boston Medical Center — Boston
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 411 participants |
| Start Date | 2015-08 |
| Est. Completion | 2018-06 |
| Phase | NA |
Interested in This Trial?
Always speak with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.
Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT02550730
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT02550730 describes a study currently listed as completed. It is categorized as NA, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 411 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is Boston Medical Center, which has 192 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 1 condition, with Labor Pain appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 2 interventions — of which Birth Sisters Best Beginnings for Babies is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT02550730 reports 1 study location spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include Massachusetts. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT02550730 about?
NCT02550730 is a clinical study titled "Best Beginnings for Babies Birth Sister Program Evaluation". Peer support during labor, birth and the perinatal period (also known as "doula" support) has been shown in some studies to reduce cesarean rates, postpartum depression and increase breastfeeding rates. The purpose of this program evaluation is to prospectively assess the clinical and cost outcomes ...
What is the current status of trial NCT02550730?
This trial is currently completed. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 411 participants. The study started on 2015-08. Estimated completion is 2018-06.
What conditions does trial NCT02550730 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Labor Pain. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT02550730?
The interventions under investigation include: Birth Sisters Best Beginnings for Babies (BEHAVIORAL), Usual maternity care (OTHER). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT02550730?
This trial is sponsored by Boston Medical Center, which has 192 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT02550730 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across Massachusetts. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
Learn More About Clinical Trials
How Clinical Trials Work
Understand phases 1-4, trial design, randomization, and the informed consent process.
Patient Rights in Clinical Trials
Your rights as a participant: consent, withdrawal, privacy, and who to contact.
Finding the Right Clinical Trial
A practical guide to searching trials, understanding eligibility, and evaluating options.
All Guides
Browse our complete library of clinical trial educational resources.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.