Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV guidelines in resource-limited settings focus on antenatal and postnatal management. In this review of the literature, we present findings from select studies, highlight best practices, and present evidence-based guidelines for intrapartum PMTCT management that are applicable to resource-limited settings. We discuss the roles of intrapar...

INTRODUCTION research on intrapartum interventions in maternity care has focused traditionally on the identification of risk factors' and on the reduction of adverse outcomes with less attention given to the measurement of factors that contribute to well-being and positive health outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of reviews to determine the type and number of salutogenically-focused re...

PURPOSE This study aims to identify triggers of stillbirth in the study setting and to make suggestions to reduce the prevalence. METHOD A three-year retrospective case-control study of stillbirths at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital. RESULTS The stillbirth rate was 33 per 1000 births. Based on Baird-Pattinson classification of the primary obstetric causes of stillbirth, adverse int...

BACKGROUND Evidence based practice is an effective strategy to improve the quality of obstetric care. Identification of barriers to adaptation of evidence-based intrapartum care is necessary and crucial to deliver high quality care to parturient women. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to explore barriers to adaptation of evidence-based intrapartum care from the perspective of clinical group...

OBJECTIVE This guideline provides new recommendations pertaining to the application and documentation of fetal surveillance in the antepartum and intrapartum period that will decrease the incidence of birth asphyxia while maintaining the lowest possible rate of obstetrical intervention. Pregnancies with and without risk factors for adverse perinatal outcomes are considered. This guideline prese...

BACKGROUND Although a number of antenatal and intrapartum interventions have shown some evidence of impact on stillbirth incidence, much confusion surrounds ideal strategies for delivering these interventions within health systems, particularly in low-/middle-income countries where 98% of the world's stillbirths occur. Improving the uptake of quality antenatal and intrapartum care is critical f...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of maternal BMI on intrapartum interventions and adverse outcomes that may influence choice of planned birth setting in healthy women without additional risk factors. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Stratified random sample of English obstetric units. SAMPLE 17,230 women without medical or obstetric risk factors other than obesity. METHODS Mult...

BACKGROUND Several key policy documents have advocated 24-hour consultant obstetrician presence on the labour ward as a means of improving the safety of birth. However, it is unclear what published evidence exists comparing the outcomes of intrapartum care with 24-hour consultant labour ward presence and other models of consultant cover. OBJECTIVES To collate and critically appraise evidence ...

Some intrapartum care practices promote vaginal birth, whereas others may increase the risk for cesarean section. Electronic fetal monitoring and use of the Friedman graph to plot and monitor labor progress are associated with increasing the cesarean section rate. Continuous one-to-one support and midwifery management are associated with lower cesarean section rates. This article reviews the ev...