The Cesarean Epidemic is categorized by the increasing cesarean section rate in the U.S., currently 30.8% (Boyle et al., 2013), which is in stark contrast to the 5% cesarean rate during the early 1970’s (Goer & Romano, 2012). The “cascade of interventions” resulting from an otherwise healthy women utilizing non-medically-necessary but often routine pain medications during labor contribute to the U.S.’s poor outcomes in maternal and infant health.  A troubling statistic released by the United Nations in September of 2010 placed the U.S. 50^th in the world for maternal mortality, higher than almost all European countries (WHO, 2010; Coeytaux, Bingham & Langer, 2011). In a report summarizing the World Health Organization’s principles of perinatal care, appropriate methods for pain relief are all suggested to be behavioral (Chalmers, Mangiaterra & Porter, 2001). However, skills learned during childbirth education are difficult to generalize and the unavailability of ongoing labor support are major contributing factors in high requests for pain medication (Goer & Ramano, 2012).  This talk addresses these concerns using a contingency analysis as well as results from an empirical study utilizing a behavior analytic software program for labor support during unmedicated labor.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the growing societal issue surrounding childbirth practices and outcomes
2. Interpret the childbirth scenario from a behavioral philosophy perspective
3. Observe the outcomes of behavioral medicine practices and principles applied to childbirth

About the Presenter

Ashley Greenwald

Ashley Greenwald is the Project Administrator for the Positive Behavior Support-Nevada project and the School Climate Transformation Project. The Positive Behavior Support-Nevada project provides training and technical assistance to families and community providers of individuals with disabilities and challenging behavior. The School Climate Transformation Project assists school districts across Nevada in implementing evidence based multi-tiered behavior frameworks. Ms. Greenwald oversees all clinical and administrative activities of these two projects and coordinates grants and other resources on the state and federal levels. Ms. Greenwald has a Bachelors Degree from the University of Florida and a Masters Degree in Psychology/Behavior Analysis from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she also recently received her Ph.D. in Psychology/Behavior Analysis. Ms. Greenwald is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over 10 years of experience working in schools and with individuals with disabilities and challenging behavior. Ms. Greenwald presents her work at numerous national conventions each year, has published a variety of articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has written numerous funded grants.