Midwifery News and Research

RSS

New Cochrane Review: All countries should consider establishing proper home birth services

A new Cochrane Review concludes that all countries should consider establishing proper home birth services. They should also provide low-risk pregnant women with information enabling them to make an informed choice. The review has been prepared by senior researcher, statistician Ole Olsen, the Research Unit for General Practice, University of Copenhagen, and midwifery lecturer PhD Jette Aaroe Clausen.

20 Sep 2012

Inhaled pain relief effective in first labor stage

A Cochrane review shows that inhaled pain relief is more effective than no pain relief at all in reducing pain intensity during the first stage of labor, say researchers.

19 Sep 2012

Increasing perceived control may reduce risk of complications after acute coronary syndrome

Patients admitted to hospital with obstructed heart arteries were three times more likely to experience complications when they were in hospital if they felt they were not in control of their condition, according to research published in the October issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

14 Sep 2012

Insufficient evidence to support effectiveness of black cohosh for menopausal symptoms

Although many women coping with hot flashes and other distressing symptoms of menopause have turned to black cohosh supplements as a treatment alternative, a new review by The Cochrane Library finds no evidence that the herb is effective.

14 Sep 2012

Inhaled analgesia appears to be effective in reducing pain intensity in first stage of labour

Inhaled pain relief appears to be effective in reducing pain intensity and in giving pain relief in the first stage of labour, say Cochrane researchers.

12 Sep 2012

Nurses, midwives can safely perform abortions, review of evidence suggests

"Abortions are just as safe when performed by trained nurse practitioners, midwives and physician assistants as when doctors do them, a new review of the evidence suggests," Reuters reports.

1 Sep 2012

Nigerian nursing, midwifery college seeks to train local health care workers

BBC News reports on a $15 million college in northern Nigeria's Jigawa state that is working to train nurses and midwives.

3 Aug 2012

Female stroke patients more affected in all quality of life domains than males

Having a stroke or mini stroke has a much more profound effect on women than men when it comes to their quality of life, according to research published in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

26 Jul 2012

VOA examines maternal mortality in South Sudan one year after independence

"A year after independence, South Sudan is still battling a lack of staff and resources as it tries to end its distinction of having the highest maternal mortality rate in the world," VOA News reports.

18 Jul 2012

Researchers examine YouTube database to find most viewed videos for nurses and nursing

The nursing profession needs to harness the power of the video-sharing website YouTube to promote a positive image of nurses, after research found that many of the top hits portray them in a derogatory way. That is the key finding of research published in the August issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

17 Jul 2012

Opinion pieces address family planning issues on World Population Day

The London Summit on Family Planning took place Wednesday, July 11, also recognized as World Population Day. The goal of the summit was to raise money to improve access to family planning services to prevent maternal and child mortality. The following summaries describe opinion pieces that address these issues.

13 Jul 2012

Global initiative to improve quality of midwifery care

Researchers from across the world have joined forces to improve the quality of midwifery care and reduce maternal, newborn and infant mortality.

22 Jun 2012

Despite progress, more effort 'urgently' needed to prevent maternal mortality in Africa

Citing a U.N. report released in May, titled "Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2010," which shows "the number of women worldwide dying of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications has almost halved in the last 20 years," Agnes Odhiambo, a researcher for women in Africa at Human Rights Watch, writes in this Inter Press Service opinion piece.

31 May 2012

Most immigrant pregnant women in Spain suffer severe stress

A study conducted at the University of Granada has concluded that most immigrant women who give birth in Spain suffer "severe stress" and should receive psychological treatment after giving birth to help them overcome disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, phobic anxiety, depression or psychoticism. These disorders are caused by "the stress of labor itself combined with other personal stress factors. This is a very stressful moment in women's life due to biological, psychological and social factors".

31 May 2012

New mentorship scheme for healthcare researchers launches in Europe

A new mentorship scheme to develop world-class researchers across the healthcare professions in England has been launched. Funded for three years by the Department of Health, the Chief Nursing Officer and the Chief Scientific Officer, the scheme provides high quality mentorship to healthcare researchers awarded with national research fellowships.

30 May 2012

Maternal deaths drop by nearly half worldwide over 20 years; Greater progress still needed, U.N. reports

"The number of women dying of pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications has almost halved in 20 years, according to new estimates released [on Wednesday] by the United Nations, which stressed that greater progress is still needed in significantly reducing maternal deaths," the U.N. News Centre reports.

18 May 2012

Hospital midwife inadvertently spreads whooping cough to up to 170 people

A Middlemore Hospital midwife could have infected up to 170 people with whooping cough. If passed onto babies or women in the last three months of pregnancy, the disease can lead to severe illness or even death. Whooping cough is a highly infectious disease caused by bacteria which is easily spread through coughing and sneezing, much like the common cold. Also known as pertussis, it is distinguishable by a “whooping” sound at the end of coughing attacks.

10 May 2012

UNFPA, International Confederation of Midwives recognize International Day of the Midwife

In a joint statement, UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin and Agneta Bridges, secretary-general of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), recognize the International Day of the Midwife on May 5.

5 May 2012

Uncomfortably high rates of maternal deaths during childbirth raise concerns: Study

According to latest figures more than a 100 mothers have died in childbirth in London in the last five years. This is twice the rate in the rest of the country. There were 11 deaths in 2005-6, compared with 29 in 2010-11. Births in London have soared by 27 per cent in the last decade from 106,000 in 2001 to 134,000 in 2011, but numbers of midwives and doctors have not kept pace.

30 Apr 2012

Eating disorders can be triggered by lack of support following traumatic events

Eating disorders can be triggered by lack of support following traumatic events such as bereavement, relationship problems, abuse and sexual assault, according to research published in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing. Even changing school or moving home can prove too much for some young people and lead to conditions such as anorexia or bulimia.

25 Apr 2012