Dataset Information

Severe Adverse Maternal Outcomes among Women in Midwife-Led versus Obstetrician-Led Care at the Onset of Labour in the Netherlands: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To test the hypothesis that it is possible to select a group of low risk women who can start labour in midwife-led care without having increased rates of severe adverse maternal outcomes compared to women who start labour in secondary care.

Design and methods

We conducted a nationwide cohort study in the Netherlands, using data from 223 739 women with a singleton pregnancy between 37 and 42 weeks gestation without a previous caesarean section, with spontaneous onset of labour and a child in cephalic presentation. Information on all cases of severe acute maternal morbidity collected by the national study into ethnic determinants of maternal morbidity in the Netherlands (LEMMoN study), 1 August 2004 to 1 August 2006, was merged with data from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry of all births occurring during the same period. Our primary outcome was severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM, i.e. admission to an intensive care unit, uterine rupture, eclampsia or severe HELLP, major obstetric haemorrhage, and other serious events). Secondary outcomes were postpartum haemorrhage and manual removal of placenta.

Results

Nulliparous and parous women who started labour in midwife-led care had lower rates of SAMM, postpartum haemorrhage and manual removal of placenta compared to women who started labour in secondary care. For SAMM the adjusted odds ratio's and 95% confidence intervals were for nulliparous women: 0.57 (0.45 to 0.71) and for parous women 0.47 (0.36 to 0.62).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that it is possible to identify a group of women at low risk of obstetric complications who may benefit from midwife-led care. Women can be reassured that we found no evidence that midwife-led care at the onset of labour is unsafe for women in a maternity care system with a well developed risk selection and referral system.

SUBMITTER: de Jonge A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4427485 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Severe Adverse Maternal Outcomes among Women in Midwife-Led versus Obstetrician-Led Care at the Onset of Labour in the Netherlands: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

de Jonge Ank A Mesman Jeanette A J M JA Manniën Judith J Zwart Joost J JJ Buitendijk Simone E SE van Roosmalen Jos J van Dillen Jeroen J

PloS one 20150511 5

<h4>Objective</h4>To test the hypothesis that it is possible to select a group of low risk women who can start labour in midwife-led care without having increased rates of severe adverse maternal outcomes compared to women who start labour in secondary care.<h4>Design and methods</h4>We conducted a nationwide cohort study in the Netherlands, using data from 223 739 women with a singleton pregnancy between 37 and 42 weeks gestation without a previous caesarean section, with spontaneous onset of l ...[more]

PMID: 25961723

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Project description:BackgroundIn the Netherlands, maternity care is divided into midwife-led care (for low-risk women) and obstetrician-led care (for high-risk women). Referrals from midwife-led to obstetrician-led care have increased over the past decade. The majority of women are referred during their pregnancy or labour. Referrals are based on a continuous risk assessment of the health and characteristics of mother and child, yet referral for non-medical factors and characteristics remain unclear. This study investigated which maternal characteristics are associated with women's referral from midwife-led to obstetrician-led care.Materials and methodsA retrospective cohort study in one midwife-led care practice in the Netherlands included 1096 low-risk women during January 2015-17. The primary outcomes were referral from midwife-led to obstetrician-led care in (1) the antepartum period and (2) the intrapartum period. In total, 11 maternal characteristics were identified. Logistic regression models of referral in each period were fitted and stratified by parity.ResultsIn the antepartum period, referral among nulliparous women was associated with an older maternal age (aOR, 1.07; 95%CI, 1.05-1.09), being underweight (0.45; 0.31-0.64), overweight (2.29; 1.91-2.74), or obese (2.65; 2.06-3.42), a preconception period >1 year (1.34; 1.07-1.66), medium education level (0.76; 0.58-1.00), deprivation (1.87; 1.54-2.26), and sexual abuse (1.44; 1.14-1.82). Among multiparous women, a referral was associated with being underweight (0.40; 0.26-0.60), obese (1.61; 1.30-1.98), a preconception period >1 year (1.71; 1.27-2.28), employment (1.38; 1.19-1.61), deprivation (1.23; 1.03-1.46), highest education level (0.63; 0.51-0.80), psychological problems (1.24; 1.06-1.44), and one or multiple consultations with an obstetrician (0.68; 0.58-0.80 and 0.64; 0.54-0.76, respectively). In the intrapartum period, referral among nulliparous women was associated with an older maternal age (1.02; 1.00-1.05), being underweight (1.67; 1.15-2.42), a preconception period >1 year (0.42; 0.31-0.57), medium or high level of education (2.09; 1.49-2.91 or 1.56; 1.10-2.22, respectively), sexual abuse (0.46; 0.33-0.63), and multiple consultations with an obstetrician (1.49; 1.15-1.94). Among multiparous women, referral was associated with an older maternal age (1.02; 1.00-1.04), being overweight (0.65; 0.51-0.83), a preconception period >1 year (0.33; 0.17-0.65), non-Dutch ethnicity (1.98; 1.61-2.45), smoking (0.75; 0.57-0.97), sexual abuse (1.49; 1.09-2.02), and one or multiple consultations with an obstetrician (1.34; 1.06-1.70 and 2.09; 1.63-2.69, respectively).ConclusionsThis exploratory study showed that several non-medical maternal characteristics of low-risk pregnant women are associated with referral from midwife-led to obstetrician-led care, and how these differ by parity and partum period.

Project description:BackgroundPain experienced during labour is more extreme than many other types of physical pain. Many pregnant women are concerned about labour pain and about how they can deal with this pain effectively.The aim of this study was to examine the associations among low risk pregnant women's characteristics and their preferred use and actual use of pain medication during labour.MethodsOur study is part of the DELIVER study: a dynamic prospective multi-centre cohort study. The data for this study were collected between September 2009 and March 2011, from women at 20 midwifery practices throughout the Netherlands. Inclusion criteria for women were: singleton pregnancies, in midwife-led care at the onset of labour and speaking Dutch, English, Turkish or Arabic. Our study sample consisted of 1511 women in primary care who completed both questionnaire two (from 34 weeks of pregnancy up to birth) and questionnaire three (around six week post partum). These questionnaires were presented either online or on paper.ResultsFifteen hundred and eleven women participated. Prenatally, 15.9% of women preferred some method of medicinal pain relief. During labour 15.2% of the total sample used medicinal pain relief and 25.3% of the women who indicated a preference to use medicinal pain relief during pregnancy, used pain medication. Non-Dutch ethnic background and planned hospital birth were associated with indicating a preference for medicinal pain relief during pregnancy. Primiparous and planned hospital birth were associated with actual use of the preferred method of medicinal pain relief during labour. Furthermore, we found that 85.5% of women who indicated a preference not to use pain medication prenatally, did not use any medication.ConclusionsOnly a small minority of women had a preference for intrapartum pain medication prenatally. Most women did not receive medicinal pain relief during labour, even if they had indicated a preference for it.Care providers should discuss the unpredictability of the labour process and the fact that actual use of pain medication often does not match with women's preference prenatally.

Project description:Management of late-term pregnancy in midwifery- and obstetrician-led care.BackgroundSince there is no consensus regarding the optimal management in late-term pregnancies (≥41.0 weeks), we explored the variety of management strategies in late-term pregnancy in the Netherlands to identify the magnitude of this variety and the attitude towards late-term pregnancy.MethodsTwo nationwide surveys amongst all midwifery practices (midwifery-led care) and all hospitals with an obstetric unit (obstetrician-led care) were performed with questions on timing, frequency and content of consultations/surveillance in late-term pregnancy and on timing of induction. Propositions about late-term pregnancy were assessed using Likert scale questions.ResultsThe response rate was 40% (203/511) in midwifery-led care and 92% (80/87) in obstetrician-led care. All obstetric units made regional protocols with their collaborating midwifery practices about management in late-term pregnancy. Most midwifery-led care practices (93%) refer low-risk women at least once for consultation in obstetrician-led care in late-term pregnancy. The content of consultations varies among hospitals. Membrane sweeping is performed more in midwifery-led care compared to obstetrician-led care (90% vs 31%, p < 0.001). Consultation at 41 weeks should be standard care according to 47% of midwifery-led care practices and 83% of obstetrician-led care units (p < 0.001). Induction of labour at 41.0 weeks is offered less often to women in midwifery-led care in comparison to obstetrician-led care (3% vs 21%, p < 0.001).ConclusionsSubstantial practice variation exists within and between midwifery-and obstetrician-led care in the Netherlands regarding timing, frequency and content of antenatal monitoring in late-term pregnancy and timing of labour induction. An evidence based interdisciplinary guideline will contribute to a higher level of uniformity in the management in late- term pregnancies.

Project description:BackgroundInternationally, a typical model of maternity care is a medically led system with varying levels of midwifery input. New Zealand has a midwife-led model of care, and there are movements in other countries to adopt such a system. There is a paucity of systemic evaluation that formally investigates safety-related outcomes in relationship to midwife-led care within an entire maternity service. The main objective of this study was to compare major adverse perinatal outcomes between midwife-led and medical-led maternity care in New Zealand.Methods and findingsThis was a population-based retrospective cohort study. Participants were mother/baby pairs for all 244,047 singleton, term deliveries occurring between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2012 in New Zealand in which no major fetal, neonatal, chromosomal or metabolic abnormality was identified and the mother was first registered with a midwife, obstetrician, or general practitioner as lead maternity carer. Main outcome measures were low Apgar score at five min, intrauterine hypoxia, birth-related asphyxia, neonatal encephalopathy, small for gestational age (as a negative control), and mortality outcomes (perinatal related mortality, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality). Logistic regression models were fitted, with crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) generated for each outcome for midwife-led versus medical-led care (based on lead maternity carer at first registration) with 95% confidence intervals. Fully adjusted models included age, ethnicity, deprivation, trimester of registration, parity, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and pre-existing diabetes and/or hypertension in the model. Of the 244,047 pregnancies included in the study, 223,385 (91.5%) were first registered with a midwife lead maternity carer, and 20,662 (8.5%) with a medical lead maternity carer. Adjusted ORs showed that medical-led births were associated with lower odds of an Apgar score of less than seven at 5 min (OR 0.52; 95% confidence interval 0.43-0.64), intrauterine hypoxia (OR 0.79; 0.62-1.02), birth-related asphyxia (OR 0.45; 0.32-0.62), and neonatal encephalopathy (OR 0.61; 0.38-0.97). No association was found between lead carer at first registration and being small for gestational age (SGA), which was included as a negative control (OR 1.00; 0.95-1.05). It was not possible to definitively determine whether one model of care was associated with fewer infant deaths, with ORs for the medical-led model compared with the midwife-led model being 0.80 (0.54-1.19) for perinatal related mortality, 0.86 (0.55-1.34) for stillbirth, and 0.62 (0.25-1.53) for neonatal mortality. Major limitations were related to the use of routine data in which some variables lacked detail; for example, we were unable to differentiate the midwife-led group into those who had received medical input during pregnancy and those who had not.ConclusionsThere is an unexplained excess of adverse events in midwife-led deliveries in New Zealand where midwives practice autonomously. The findings are of concern and demonstrate a need for further research that specifically investigates the reasons for the apparent excess of adverse outcomes in mothers with midwife-led care. These findings should be interpreted in the context of New Zealand's internationally comparable birth outcomes and in the context of research that supports the many benefits of midwife-led care, such as greater patient satisfaction and lower intervention rates.

Project description:BackgroundMidwives are essential providers of primary health care and can play a major role in the provision of health care that can save lives and improve sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health outcomes. One way for midwives to deliver care is through midwife-led birth centres (MLBCs). Most of the evidence on MLBCs is from high-income countries but the opportunity for impact of MLBCs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could be significant as this is where most maternal and newborn deaths occur. The aim of this study is to explore MLBCs in four low-to-middle income countries, specifically to understand what is needed for a successful MLBC.MethodsA descriptive case study design was employed in 4 sites in each of four countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa and Uganda. We used an Appreciative Inquiry approach, informed by a network of care framework. Key informant interviews were conducted with 77 MLBC clients and 33 health service leaders and senior policymakers. Fifteen focus group discussions were used to collect data from 100 midwives and other MLBC staff.ResultsKey enablers to a successful MLBC were: (i) having an effective financing model (ii) providing quality midwifery care that is recognised by the community (iii) having interdisciplinary and interfacility collaboration, coordination and functional referral systems, and (iv) ensuring supportive and enabling leadership and governance at all levels.ConclusionThe findings of this study have significant implications for improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes, strengthening healthcare systems, and promoting the role of midwives in LMICs. Understanding factors for success can contribute to inform policies and decision making as well as design tailored maternal and newborn health programmes that can more effectively support midwives and respond to population needs. At an international level, it can contribute to shape guidelines and strengthen the midwifery profession in different settings.

Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted maternal and newborn health services in Bangladesh, exacerbating the large gaps in service utilization that existed prior to the pandemic. As part of its response, Bangladesh initiated remote antenatal and postnatal care telemedicine services led by midwives in 36 sub-district hospitals across five of Bangladesh's 64 districts. Gender-based violence screening and referral were integrated into the service to address a reported rise in violence following the country's pandemic lockdown.MethodsMixed-methods implementation research was used to develop an intrinsic case study describing the design and implementation of the telemedicine program. Qualitative analysis comprised document review, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Quantitative analysis employed an interrupted time series analysis with segmented multi-variate regression to compare maternity care service use trends before and after implementation. Poisson regression analysis was used to examine the trend in number of gender-based violence remote screenings, sessions held, and cases identified.ResultsA statistically significant change in trend for onsite antenatal and postpartum care as well as women seeking care at the hospital as a result of postpartum hemorrhage arising in the community was observed following the introduction of telemedicine. Facility births and cases of eclampsia appropriately identified and managed also had significant increases. In addition, over 6917 women were screened for GBV, 223 received counseling and 34 referrals were made, showing a statistically significant increase in frequency over time following the implementation of the telemedicine program. Challenges included that not all midwives adopted GBV screening, some women were reluctant to discuss GBV, there was an unanticipated need to introduce a patient visit scheduling system in all intervention hospitals, and many women were not reachable by phone due to lack of access or network coverage.ConclusionsMaternal health and gender-based violence telemedicine led by midwives was an effective, low-cost intervention in Bangladesh for addressing pandemic and pre-pandemic gaps in service use. Other low and middle-income countries planning to implement remote maternal health interventions via midwives should consider whether a patient visit scheduling system needs to be introduced, as well as limitations around mobile phone access and connectivity. Future research should include care quality oversight and improvement, and a more well-informed strategy for facilitating effective GBV screening.

Project description:BackgroundThe World Health Organization recommends birth companionship for all women in labor. There is insufficient evidence on birth companionship in low-income settings and it is not clear if role orientation impacts effectiveness. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of midwife-led role orientation of birth companions of on maternal satisfaction and birth outcomes in a sub-region in Uganda.MethodsA stepped wedge cluster randomized trial conducted (control n = 240), intervention n = 235) from 4 clusters. Women who had a birth companion, in spontaneously established labor and, expecting a vaginal delivery were eligible. The intervention was "midwife-provided orientation of birth companions". The admitting midwife provided an orientation session for the birth companion on supportive labor techniques. The primary outcome was the chance of having a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Assessors were not blinded. Independent t-test and Chi-Square tests were used to assess the differences by study period.ResultsMean maternal satisfaction rate was significantly higher in the intervention period compared to the control period (P > 0.001). High maternal satisfaction levels were noted among the women who were; at the regional referral hospital, younger, first-time mothers, and unmarried (P < 0.001). Satisfaction with pain management was rated lowest across study periods. Satisfaction with humaneness was rated highest with a higher score in the intervention period (93%) than the control (79.5%). There were no statistically significant differences in the mode of delivery, need to augment labor, length of labor and Apgar scores.ConclusionMidwife-led role orientation of birth companions increased maternal satisfaction. Nevertheless, no significant effect was noted in the mode of delivery, length of labor, Apgar score, and need to augment labor. Findings could inform the integration of birth companions in the admission process of the woman in labor in similar settings.Trial registration numberNCT04771325.

Dataset Information

Severe Adverse Maternal Outcomes among Women in Midwife-Led versus Obstetrician-Led Care at the Onset of Labour in the Netherlands: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Objective

Design and methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Severe Adverse Maternal Outcomes among Women in Midwife-Led versus Obstetrician-Led Care at the Onset of Labour in the Netherlands: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Similar Datasets

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