DOULAS AND MATERNAL MORTALITY: In the modern era, it has been rare for American women of any race to die in childbirth. But at least on paper the American death rates look worse than those of many other developed countries. And there are racial disparities—with black women faring the worst, followed by whites, then Hispanics, then Asians. This has been getting a lot of attention on the Left (except the part about Hispanic women doing better than white women). Biden gave a hat tip in his SOTU address toward more spending on maternal health.

How will the money be spent? Much of the public discussion focuses on “doulas.” A doula is an individual who assists in the course of a pregnancy and birth by giving the expectant mother emotional support and advice on how to have a safe, successful pregnancy. She may also assist a midwife in delivering the baby, but generally does not have the training to be a midwife.

The NYT ran a puff piece on Wednesday advocating the use of “doulas” as a partial solution to the maternal health problem. Similarly, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) lobbied furiously and successfully for a California law “creating a workgroup on Medi-Cal coverage for doulas.”

I’m not convinced that’s really the ticket. I know of no evidence that doulas can help prevent maternal deaths. I think my dissent from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ report on this subject from a few months ago can shed more light on the subject.