Midwives crucial in reducing caesareans
The importance of our midwives has been highlighted in a new study of maternal care. The study found women who had one-on-one midwife care, reaped the benefits.
Less C-sections, less medical intervention, and less post-natal baby care – these were the goals of the researchers from La Trobe University.The study of over 2,300 women at the Royal Women’s Hospital, was the world’s largest comparison of one-on-one midwifery care against standard public hospital care.Dr Helen McLachlan, lead author of the study, says the results were in favour of the midwives.In fact, women who were part of the one-on-one model were 22% less likely to have a caesarian, 12% less likely to have an epidural and 21% less likely to have an episiotomy. They were also 37% less likely to require post-natal treatment for their baby.