BACKGROUND Women at low risk of pregnancy complications benefit from continuity of midwifery care, but no trial evidence exists for women with identified risk factors. We aimed to assess the clinical and cost outcomes of caseload midwifery care for women irrespective of risk factors. METHODS In this unblinded, randomised, controlled, parallel-group trial, pregnant women at two metropolitan te...

This scoping review investigates if, over the last 25 years in high resource countries, midwives' patients of low socioeconomic position (SEP) were at more or less risk of adverse infant birth outcomes compared to physicians' patients. Reviewers identified 917 records in a search of 12 databases, grey literature, and citation lists. Thirty-one full documents were assessed and nine studies met i...

BACKGROUND The increased prevalence of obesity in pregnant women in Australia and other developed countries is a significant public health concern. Obese women are at increased risk of serious perinatal complications and guidelines recommend weight gain restriction and additional care. There is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of dietary and physical activity lifestyle intervention...

BACKGROUND Maternal and infant clinical outcomes were compared for low risk mothers receiving a partnership caseload model of midwifery care, known as Primary Health Midwifery Care (PHMC), and standard hospital care (SHC). METHODS Using secondary analysis of data from the Obstet Data System routine collection (PHMC n=976, SHC n=976) from a large metropolitan hospital, maternal and infant clin...

OBJECTIVES To measure the extent to which documented Swedish midwifery care for low-risk labour and birth followed the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations for care in normal birth, and to compare midwifery care given to women who's labours were classified as low and high risk. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective examination of midwifery and medical records, 144 from women with low-risk...

BACKGROUND Australia has an enviable record of safety for women in childbirth. There is nevertheless growing concern at the increasing level of intervention and consequent morbidity amongst childbearing women. Not only do interventions impact on the cost of services, they carry with them the potential for serious morbidities for mother and infant.Models of midwifery have proliferated in an atte...

Rama midwives in eastern Nicaragua use a wide array of plants in providing health care to women and infants. In this study, I document the use of medicinal plants by Rama midwives on the island of Rama Cay in eastern Nicaragua. Field investigations included semi-structured interviews and field trips with eight midwives to collect voucher specimens. A total of 162 plant species, in 125 genera an...

BACKGROUND In sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa, maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high due to a shortage of registered nurses with advanced midwifery diplomas. OBJECTIVE To determine the profile of registered nurses (RNs) involved in maternity care in public referral hospitals of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. METHOD A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted...

OBJECTIVE To identify a set of indicators for monitoring the quality of maternity care for low-risk women provided by primary care midwives and general practitioners (GPs) in the Netherlands. DESIGN A Project Group (midwives, GPs, policymakers and researchers) defined a long list of potential indicators based on the literature, national guidelines and expert opinion. This list was assessed ag...

BACKGROUND In Australia and internationally, there is concern about the growing proportion of women giving birth by caesarean section. There is evidence of increased risk of placenta accreta and percreta in subsequent pregnancies as well as decreased fertility; and significant resource implications. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of continuity of midwifery care have reported reduced caesar...