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Study Shows: Women Prefer Midwives

From: C-reuters@clari.net (Reuters)
Subject: Mothers prefer midwives, study finds
Organization: Copyright 1996 by Reuters
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 8:40:25 PDT

Mary McGinley of the Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital and a team of doctors and specialists found there was no difference in the care given by doctors or midwives -- except the women liked the midwives better.

They questioned 1,299 healthy, pregnant women, half of whom were treated solely by midwives and half given ``shared'' care, when midwives are part of a group of professionals including doctors and nurses.

In a report in the Lancet medical journal, they said women treated by midwives were less likely to have labor induced, and were less likely to undergo a painful episiotomy -- when the vaginal opening is enlarged with a scalpel.

Despite this, they were just as likely to end up with healthy babies and had no more complications.

``We conclude that midwife-managed care for healthy women, integrated within existing services, is clinically effective and enhances women's satisfaction with maternity care.''

Women were clearly more satisfied with midwife care. ``The difference was evident not only overall but also for various specific features of satisfaction -- choice, information, decision-making and individualised care.''

Marsden Wagner, a Danish expert on maternal and child health, said the study showed a midwife was the best choice.

``This finding is of overriding importance for those countries such as the USA and Canada, where primary care during pregnancy and birth for nearly all women without complications is given by doctors, mostly obstetricians,'' he wrote.

Wagner said this was also the trend in many European countries.