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Time for UK water companies to stop swinging the lead

Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal that can harm human health (US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2016) Fetuses, infants and children are especially vulnerable; low levels of exposure...

‘Once a caesarean, always a caesarean’? Challenging perceptions around vaginal birth after caesarean

The benefits and safety of vaginal birth after primary caesarean section (VBAC) is a subject of considerable interest to midwives, and one which this journal periodically revisits Some of this...

Alternatives to breastfeeding: The use of goats' milk in infant formula

‘The scaling up of breastfeeding to a near universal level could prevent 823 000 annual deaths in children younger than 5 years and 20 000 annual deaths from breast cancer’ (Victora et al, 2016: 475)...

Retinopathy of prematurity: Causes, prevention and treatment

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative disorder of the immature retinal vasculature The retina has no blood vessels until around 16 weeks' gestation; the vessels grow out from the optic...

Safe drug administration in midwifery

Safe drug administration is an NHS priority and fundamental standard of the Care Quality Commission (CQC, 2016); this is important because midwives' errors in drug administration are reflected in...

Newborn examination on full-term neonate whose mother had group B streptococcus colonisation

In the UK, all parents are offered the newborn infant physical examination (NIPE) for their baby as part of the Child Health Promotion Programme (Department of Health (DH), 2004; National Institute...

‘Bump, Baby and Beyond’: Participant-led antenatal sessions using creative collaboration

The publication of the Francis report (Francis, 2013) led to a recommendation for greater emphasis on interventions to support frontline clinical teams to perform effectively The Patients First...

Should left-handed midwives and midwifery students conform to the ‘norm’ or practise intuitively?

It has been suggested that the growing proportion of left-handed people—or, more specifically, the greater acknowledgement of left-handedness over the past century—may be the result of fewer...

Amendments in electronic fetal monitoring and intermittent auscultation

Interpretation of cardiotocography (CTG) remains a controversial topic, despite attempts by the national professional bodies to standardise the terminology and decision-making systems The National...

‘Do more with less’ must have its limits

Along with ‘thinking outside the box’ and ‘touching base’, another annoying phrase that corporate jargon has inflicted on the English language is ‘do more with less’. This little gem has been...

Improving outcomes for women and babies: A midwife's priority

Midwives everywhere strive to provide the best care for women and their families, and make a significant contribution to reducing the stillbirth and maternal mortality rates. In England, the...

Smoking and pregnancy

‘Smoking during pregnancy can cause serious pregnancy-related health problems These include complications during labour and an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, low birth...

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