Benchmarking outcomes in maternity care: Peripartum incontinence - a framework for standardised reporting

To evaluate a framework to facilitate standardised reporting of perinatal incontinence.

How are decisions made to access a planned epidural in labour? Midwife-woman interactions in antenatal consultations

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in the decision to access a planned epidural in labour was topicalised and negotiated between pregnant women and midwives.

Improvisation and harm avoidance: An ethnographic study of adherence to postnatal care protocols in two hospitals in Southern Ghana

Postnatal care (PNC) is the skilled care given to mothers and babies immediately after delivery and for six weeks thereafter (WHO, 2013). The aim is to detect, manage or refer maternal and newborn health problems and life-threatening complications. (Ronsmans and Graham, 2006; Nadisauskiene et al., 2014; Singh et al., 2014; WHO and UNICEF, 2014). Protocols and guidelines are “statements to assist healthcare practitioners to make appropriate decisions about the right care in specific conditions and circumstances” (Woolf et al., 1999:527).

Womens’ experiences of living with obstetric fistula in Ghana–time for the establishment of a fistula centre of excellence

To explore the experiences of women living with Obstetric Fistula in Ghana.

Recently graduated midwives in Uganda: Self-perceived achievement, wellbeing and work prospects

to investigate how recent graduates from a combined work/study midwifery degree programme in Uganda viewed its effects on their wellbeing and work prospects.

Acceptability of dietary or nutritional supplementation in pregnancy (ADONS) – Exploring the consumer's perspective on introducing creatine monohydrate as a pregnancy supplement

Pre-clinical studies suggest maternal dietary creatine supplementation during pregnancy could protect babies against hypoxic intrapartum events, however creatine has not been used as a supplement in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to explore pregnant women and healthcare professional's general knowledge, behaviours, and attitudes toward nutritional supplements, and their thoughts on introducing creatine as a pregnancy supplement.

Effect of stay in a postpartum care institution on postpartum depression in women

Childbirth is a major life experience for women. From conception to arrival of the newborn, the physical and mental experience has a great impact and influence on mothers (Swanson et al., 2011), which may lead to emotional or mental disorders post partum (Dolatian et al., 2013; Roy-Byrne et al., 2016). Postpartum depression is a common problem in women (Motzfeldt et al., 2013). In the 6 weeks after birth, serious intentions or behaviours that can harm the mother or baby may have adverse effects on child growth and development (O'Hara and McCabe, 2013; Bennett et al., 2016).

Incidence of maternal near miss among women in labour admitted to hospitals in Ethiopia

To assess the incidence of maternal near miss and contributing factors among hospitals in Ethiopia. The study also assessed the ability of hospitals to provide signal functions of emergency obstetric care and its regional distribution.

The characteristics and prevalence of phobias in pregnancy

The primary objective was to estimate the population prevalence of specific phobias (including pregnancy related specific phobias) and associated mental disorders. The secondary objective was to investigate the effectiveness of routinely collected screening tools (depression and anxiety screens, Whooley and GAD-2 respectively) in identifying specific phobias. Specific phobias are the most common anxiety disorder to occur during pregnancy, but studies on prevalence and clinical correlates of specific phobias, including pregnancy related specific phobias are lacking.

The role and outcomes of music listening for women in childbirth: An integrative review

To synthesise primary research on the role and use of music listening for women in childbirth.

Women's information needs, decision-making and experiences of membrane sweeping to promote spontaneous labour

UK policy currently recommends membrane sweeping to avoid prolonged pregnancy and reduce the need for formal induction. Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2008) on induction of labour recommends that at 40- and 41-week antenatal visits, nulliparous women should be offered membrane sweeping prior to formal induction and additional membrane sweeping may be offered if labour does not start spontaneously. Updates to the guideline are expected in July 2020. NICE Quality Standard [QS22] (NICE, 2016) for antenatal care additionally recommends that women having their second or later baby are offered membrane sweeping.

Patterns of delivery assistance among adolescent mothers in Nigeria

This study examined the sociodemographic and sociocultural factors associated with the pattern of birth assistance used among adolescent mothers aged 15–19 in Nigeria.

“After having a waterbirth, I feel like it's the only way people should deliver babies”: The decision making process of women who plan a waterbirth

To explore the decision making process of women who seek to give birth in water

Evaluation of women's worries in different strategies for the prevention of early onset group B streptococcal disease in neonates

: Early onset group B streptococcal (EOGBS) disease is an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. EOGBS preventive strategies aim to reduce the risk of neonatal complications. Two new strategies to prevent EOGBS were implemented in two regions in the Netherlands: a risk-based and a combination strategy and were compared to the Dutch strategy in a third region. Little is known how women feel about preventive EOGBS strategies, the consequences for management during labour, side effects such as harm caused by over prescribing of antibiotics or anxiety caused by screening.

Exploring the validity of allostatic load in pregnant women

The theory of allostatic load has gained momentum in perinatal research to understand the biological pathways of the impact of maternal chronic stress on adverse perinatal outcomes. However, due to physiological changes of pregnancy, including large variations across gestation, the extent to which allostatic load measured in pregnancy is valid has not been queried in depth.

Breastfeeding support in low and middle-income countries: Secondary analysis of national survey data

Early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding can reduce infant mortality. Breastfeeding support interventions such as counselling may improve adherence to recommended practices. However, it is not known if these interventions work at the population level.

Dimensions in women's experience of the perinatal period

A positive experience of the perinatal period is significant for women in midwifery care. The literature on women's experiences of the care in this period is extensive. However, a clear overview of the dimensions important for women's experiences is lacking. Consequently, care providers and researchers may ignore aspects significant to women's experience. In this short communication, we present a framework identifying the dimensions relevant for women's experiences of the perinatal period.

Conceptualising women's perinatal well-being: A systematic review of theoretical discussions

Over the last two decades there has been an increasing interest in well-being as a focus of policy, practice and research. There is general agreement that well-being takes a more holistic approach and focuses not simply on the absence of illness. In its constitution, the World Health Organisation defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. However, the concept of well-being still remains poorly defined and frequently appears to be used at a superficial level as ‘health and well-being’ to cover a wide range of concepts.

Health professionals’ views of newborn pulse oximetry screening in a midwifery-led maternity setting. “It's a good thing to do, but fund it!”

Congenital heart defects in infants are the commonest congenital abnormality but even critical lesions can be difficult to identify clinically in the first days after birth during the period of physiological transition and while the ductus arteriosus remains patent (Wren et al., 2008). Accordingly, clinical assessment of newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) within the first 24 h often yields normal findings (Abu-Harb et al., 1994; Saxena et al., 2015). Failure to make an early diagnosis of critical CHD leads to clinical compromise prior to infants receiving major surgery and is associated with increased infant mortality (Eckersley et al., 2016; Franklin et al., 2002).

Neonatal outcomes and its association among gestational diabetes mellitus with and without depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study

Prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in gestational diabetes mellitus ranges from 10.2% to 39.9% based on previous studies in Malaysia. Presence of depression, anxiety or stress in pregnancy may increase the risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of neonatal outcomes and its association among mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus with and without the presence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Malaysia.