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Articles on Childbirth

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Home birth isn’t going away – and time is running out to solve the insurance dilemma. Flickr/hubeRsen

Pushing home birth underground raises safety concerns

Women have the right to determine what happens to their bodies; and this includes where and how they give birth. But from July 2013, private midwives may not be able to legally provide their services to…
Rates of stillbirth have fallen in rich countries but are now reaching a plateau. flickr/Trevor Blair

Reducing the heartbreak and burden of stillbirth

Stillbirth is a major but under-researched public health problem affecting three million families each year. Following the 2011 Lancet Stillbirth Series, it has been receiving more attention, and a recent…
Home births for high-risk pregnancies and where a registered midwife isn’t present are risky. Deannster

For some women, unassisted home births are worth the risks

We live in a world with many different perspectives on risk. Entire professions now exist to advise us on how to recognise, avoid and manage risk. And the maternity and obstetric professions are no different…
Overly optimistic expectations about the birthing process may taint the experience for many women. Muus Creation/Flickr

Great expectations: mothers too optimistic about birth intervention

Many women believe they’re likely to go through labour and give birth without medical intervention. But data from Victoria shows that, more often than not, labour does require intervention. The disconnect…
The frequently cited Netherlands study doesn’t show it’s safe to give birth at home in Australia. Assy

Thinking about giving birth at home? Look at the evidence on safety

We’re fortunate to live in a society where robust evidence forms the basis of the information health-care professionals provide to patients – and home birth should be no exception. But the evidence about…

Stress leads to decline in male births

Researchers have found that women experiencing high levels of stress are more likely to give birth to females. Scientists…
Social realities have a bigger impact on when women have babies than “medical facts”. ECohen

Are older women selfish for having babies?

It seems we have a new “barbecue stopper” about women and families, after comments last week by Perth obstetrician Barry Walters that it is selfish for older women to have babies. Defending himself from…
Higher maternal diet quality in the year before pregnancy was associated with lower risk for neural tube defects, the study found. Flickr/Aldo Risolvo

Eating well before pregnancy linked to lower birth defect risk

Women who stick to a healthy diet in the year before falling pregnant may be less likely to have a baby with birth defects, a new study has found. Doctors have long counseled pregnant women to consider…
More women are opting for caesareans but what are the risks? Rowan Simpson

Not just too posh to push: elective caesareans vs vaginal births

In Australia, as in most of the developed world, about one baby in three is now delivered by caesarean section. To put things in perspective, the rate of caesarean birth has almost doubled over the past…
Pulse oximetry is usually done by clipping a small sensor onto a baby’s foot. Flickr/storyvillegirl

Life-saving test picks up baby heart defects

A quick, cheap and non-invasive test on newborn infants is effective in picking up heart defects missed by some prenatal ultrasounds, a UK study has found. Pulse oximetry involves clipping a sensor to…
Young men whose partners experienced abortion or miscarriage were twice as likely to have depression than men who reported their partner had never been pregnant. Flickr/Jason Pier in DC

Pregnancy loss linked to depression in young men

Young men whose partners have had an abortion or miscarriage are twice as likely to develop depression than those whose partners have never been pregnant, a new study has found. While previous studies…

Birth weight linked to mental health

Premature or low birth weight babies are more likely to suffer from anxiety and mood disorders later in life, according to…
Women who do not go to sleep on their left side on their last night of pregnancy have a doubled risk of late stillbirth compared with women who sleep on their left side, new research shows. Flickr

Sleeping on left side may halve risk of stillbirth

Women who sleep on their left side on their final night of pregnancy could halve the risk of their baby being stillborn compared to women who do not, a new study has found. Sleeping on the left allows…
Quality and safety in childbirth should not be equated with obstetric care. AAP

Is ‘tribal’ obstetric culture endangering mothers and babies?

How we are born, who supports mothers and the quality of the care provided during birth are vital to good public health and personal well being. But all is not well in modern birthing in spite of the advances…

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