Latest Midwifery Stories

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company, announced today the completion of the first clinical study to evaluate non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in a general population of pregnant women. The patients of this study were from a single large obstetrical practice over a specified period of time and represent an average-risk population for that center. The study's significance is that it...

Women who have a fear of childbirth spend longer in labor than women who have no such fear, suggests new research published today (27 June) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Between 5 and 20% of pregnant women have a fear of childbirth. Various factors have been associated with increased prevalence of fear of childbirth, including young maternal age, being a first-time mother, pre-existing psychological problems, lack of social support and a history of abuse...

"Survive and Thrive" to maximize the resources and expertise of professional associations, private sector and the U.S. Government to better serve mothers and children from pregnancy through age five WASHINGTON, June 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced the establishment of a unique and historic global development alliance (GDA) -- Survive and Thrive: Professional Associations, Private Sector and Global Health Scholars Saving...

Education is key to avoiding increasingly common practices that are unnecessary or sometimes harmful; Women share birth experiences in their own voices WASHINGTON, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Every pregnant woman hopes for the same thing - a safe and healthy birth for her baby. Yet, women are increasingly provided care that may actually make labor and birth more difficult or less safe. Today, Lamaze launched a new campaign, called "Push for Your Baby," to encourage women...

Safe childbirth checklist program aims to prevent maternal and newborn deaths in low-income countries A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) found that a simple checklist-based childbirth safety program dramatically improved adherence to essential childbirth care practices at a pilot hospital in south India. Of 29 practices measured, 28 were improved after adoption of the checklist and overall adherence to essential practices was...

Factsheet: New Classes of Medical Practitioners Regulations OTTAWA, May 13, 2012 /CNW/ - The Harper Government has introduced new regulations proposing that midwives, nurse practitioners and podiatrists be allowed to prescribe selected medications containing legal controlled substances. "These new regulations will improve flexibility within the health care system and the timeliness of service delivery in Canada," said the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health. "They...

But increases admissions to special care baby units Research: Outcomes of elective induction of labor compared with expectant management: population based study Induction of labor beyond 37 weeks of pregnancy can reduce perinatal mortality (death before, during or shortly after birth) without increasing caesarean section rates, finds a study published on bmj.com today. However, induction is associated with a greater risk of admission to a special care baby unit. Induction of labor...

He's delivered a baby every 36 hours for 43 years--shows no signs of slowing down. Among Small Number Reaching US Maternity Milestone-1 Baby Every 36 hours for 43 years LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Barrie May, M.D., prominent Orange County obstetrician/gynecologist, just reached his landmark 10,000th delivery, among a small number of U.S. physicians laying claim to this milestone. That means every week for 43 years, average of five women had...

Women Told, "Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait" SEATTLE, May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Washington State hospitals, physicians and expectant mothers have teamed up to deliver a dramatic increase in the number of babies born at full term - 39 weeks - instead of earlier in their pregnancies. They did this by rapidly changing established obstetric practices in place for many years. This change came about because of new research demonstrating the short and long term hazards of...

A scheme supporting newly graduated, unemployed, and retired midwives to work in rural areas of Nigeria and provide essential obstetric care has helped to improve maternal, newborn, and child health and could potentially serve as a model for other low-income countries. This includes helping redistribute health workforce in low-income countries to reduce the health inequities between urban and rural areas. In a Health in Action article in this week's PLoS Medicine, a group of Nigerian...