Safe childbirth

[Guest guest]

While choosing a place to deliver your baby, the question is not who

knows better technology of childbirth, but who creates a proper

environment for easier and safer birth. The National Childbirth

Trust, UK also sought answers to this question[1]. Even American

Public Health Association recommends to increase access to out-of-

hospital maternity care services with direct entry midwives in the

United States[2].

 

[1]

http://www.obgynworld.com/international/news/2005/Week_24/Day_2/Ward_e

nvironment_hin.asp

 

Ward environment hinders labor

Source: National Childbirth Trust, UK

 

A survey of new mothers in the UK explores whether the environment in

which they gave birth influenced their delivery.

Inhospitable surroundings and cramped conditions on maternity wards

make labor more difficult and uncomfortable for women, a report by

the UK's National Childbirth Trust (NCT) suggests.

Among the almost 700 women involved in the survey, 26 percent felt

that being in a labor room with white walls and resuscitation

equipment in full view made it more difficult for them to cope with

giving birth than if they had been in a homely environment.

A lack of space to move or walk around freely was reported by 17

percent of respondents, with the NCT finding that insufficient space

to try different positions was associated with a 26 percent risk of

emergency cesarean, compared with a 12 percent risk among those free

to move.

 

The women also reported little control over their surroundings during

labor, with 49 percent unable to control who entered the room, 67

percent unable to change the temperature, and 40 percent having no

control over lighting.

 

"Many worthwhile changes don't cost a lot of money," said Mary

Newburn, head of policy research at the NCT. "Beds can be moved to

the side of the room to give the women more space to move around,

people should be asked to knock before entering, and rooms should be

made to feel more homely without lots of clinical equipment in view."

 

[2] Home birth safe for low-risk pregnancies

<http://reuters.us.ed10.net/h/Z6N32/958FE/HK/Q89R>

 

Acccording to research on Canadian and American births, for women at

low risk for complications, planned home births for using certified

professional midwives are just as safe as hospital births. Moreover,

the good outcomes are achieved using less than 1/2 the medical

interventions:

* episiotomy: 2.1% of home deliveries vs 33% in hospital

* forceps delivery: 1% vs 2.2%

* caesarean section: 3.7% vs 19%

 

These findings "support the American Public Health Association's

recommendation to increase access to out-of-hospital maternity care

services with direct entry midwives in the United States,"

researchers conclude.

 

 

ayurveda, durgesh mankikar

<d_mankikar> wrote:

> Dr Bhate presents a great research from our own archives.

>

> But this is also an excellent way to say that Practicing Doctors

know less than Midwivwes.

> Its almost like saying Doctors know less than Medical students, who

know less than the nurses, who know less than the technicians who

work in hospitals, who know less than the various non-medical people

who work at the hospital like the garage attendants, etc......

>

> For every case , as the one you mention, and I do empathize with

their problems, one should ask hundreds of women, whether they

actually benefitted from going to doctors, and getting epidurals. We

cannot generalize on the entire profession of medicine based on

anecdotal stories.