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Provision of supportive care

The increased pace and involuntary nature of labour physiology renders it a period of maximum stress for both the fetus and the mother, particularly within the second stage of labour (McDonnell and...

Should pregnant women be in a high-risk COVID-19 category?

As COVID-19 spread round the world in early 2020, most governments introduced lockdown measures to reduce social interactions and so reduce the transmission of the virus In some countries, including...

Supporting families after a diagnosis of Edwards' or Patau's syndrome

Imagine going from being happily pregnant to being told that the baby you are expecting has a rare and life-limiting condition If your child does beat the odds and survives to be born alive, no-one...

The Acton Model: support for women with female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a global healthcare problem affecting an estimated 200 million women and girls, worldwide (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016) It is defined as ‘all procedures...

Birth trauma: the mediating effects of perceived support

In recent years, birth trauma has become the focus of much perinatal research Childbirth can be a triggering event for mothers and lead to symptoms of postnatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),...

Diagnosis of perineal trauma: getting it right first time

It is estimated that 85% of women will sustain some degree of perineal trauma during vaginal delivery and 60–70% of these will require suturing (Kettle and Tohill, 2008) Perineal trauma includes not...

COVID-19 and the risk to black, Asian and minority ethnic women during pregnancy

Recently, concerns have been raised about a possible association between ethnicity and incidence and outcomes of COVID-19, following observational data released from the Intensive Care National Audit...

How far does duty of care extend?

The impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on global health continues apace, generating widespread apprehension among the public and healthcare workers

The start of an academic year like no other

The year 2020 has been, and continues to be, a year like no other The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in March (WHO, 2020) and, because of the highly contagious...

How COVID-19 affects mother-baby contact

In the UK especially, it is widely accepted that physical contact between mother and baby from birth onwards is immensely beneficial for both Supported by UK Baby Friendly Initiatives standards in...

Physiology's role in labour assessment

This article considers the importance of observing the physiological and behavioural cues exhibited by women during advanced labour to facilitate labour assessment In-depth knowledge of labour...

Tools for frontline professionals

The way in which healthcare organisations respond and learn following patient safety incidents has been repeatedly highlighted as a cause for concern Getting that right has never been as important as...

Changes in the management of iron in pregnancy

The need for healthy iron levels during pregnancy is well understood by healthcare professionals This essential micronutrient plays an important role in the transportation of oxygen throughout the...

Tales of two midwives: medical conditions of pregnancy that changed our midwifery practice

The outbreak of COVID-19 has meant that midwifery around the world is currently set against an ever-present backdrop of disease Although pregnancy and childbirth are most often a healthy and normal...

Supporting vegans through pregnancy and lactation

The number of British people who identify as vegan has quadrupled in the last five years (The Vegan Society, 2019) Indications are that nearly half of the vegans in the UK made the change in 2018...

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