The State of Newborn Care in the United States: Gaps in Oversight and the Need for Standardization
A workforce policy paper by Denise Iacona Stern, Founder of Let Mommy Sleep, January 2026. Full paper available on SSRN.
The global postpartum products market is projected to reach $3.90 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research, 2024). Medicaid now covers birth and postpartum doulas in many states. Employers are offering overnight newborn care as part of family leave packages. Independent caregivers are choosing in-home family support as a career path in growing numbers.
Yet the profession has no national standards.
The State of Newborn Care in the United States: Key Takeaways
- The first 12 weeks of life represent a high-risk period for newborns and families.
- In-home newborn care as a profession has grown rapidly driven by unmet demand during the postpartum phase and private sector growth.
- Despite increased use by families, employers and Medicaid, the sector lacks national standards.
- Newborn care training and certification vary widely, creating preventable safety and professional issues.
- Aggregation and accountability are necessary to protect families and providers alike.
Why this Matters
As in-home postpartum support becomes more widely used, the absence of standardized training creates real risk for families who cannot verify caregiver qualifications, and for the professional caregivers working without a recognized credential framework. Unlike licensed healthcare professions, where state nursing boards investigate complaints, monitor credentials and mandate remediation, in-home newborn care has no equivalent oversight body or meaningful accountability.
The State of Newborn Care was written to document that gap and make the case for national standards. It is the formal articulation of what Let Mommy Sleep has been practicing since 2010, and the foundation behind the Newborn & Postpartum Support Night Doula Certificate and National Night Doula Registry.