Outcomes of Expectant Management of Term Prelabor Rupture of Membranes.

Objective: To assess rates of induction/augmentation of labor, maternal infection, neonatal outcomes, and time to birth when women were expectantly managed after term prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) at home or in the hospital.

Design: Retrospective, descriptive study based on a review of data from a hospital midwifery service database and chart review.

Setting: A large Midwest hospital with 4,700 births annually.

Relational Decision-Making in the Context of Life-Limiting Fetal Anomalies: Two Cases of Anencephaly Diagnosis.

Life-limiting fetal diagnoses such as anencephaly require families to make decisions in which no options offered will lead to the desired outcome of a healthy newborn. Although informed choice and shared decision-making are important aspects of ethics regarding care choices, they have limitations. In this article, 2 cases of anencephaly diagnosis are presented, and a relational decision-making model of care is proposed as an alternative for aiding pregnant people and their families in making challenging choices in the context of perinatal care.

Development and evaluation of a high-fidelity lactation simulation model for health professional breastfeeding education.

Background: A key reason for premature cessation of breastfeeding is inadequate support from healthcare providers. Most physicians and nurses do not feel confident in their ability to support families with breastfeeding initiation or maintenance. Increasing health professional confidence in clinical lactation skills is key to improving maternal and child health outcomes.

A retrospective comparison of waterbirth outcomes in two United States hospital settings.

Background: Water immersion during labor is an effective comfort measure; however, outcomes for waterbirth in the hospital setting have not been well documented. Our objective was to report the outcomes from two nurse-midwifery services that provide waterbirth within a tertiary care hospital setting in the United States.

Methods: This study is a retrospective, observational, matched comparison design.

Certified Nurse-Midwives' Experiences With Provision of Prenatal Genetic Screening: A Case for Interprofessional Collaboration.

Prenatal genetic screening (GS) for the most common autosomal aneuploidies encompasses maternal serum screening (MSS) and noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT, or cell-free fetal DNA testing). In the United States, most maternity care is provided by obstetrician-gynecologists; however, women are increasingly utilizing the services of certified nurse-midwives (CNMs). Currently, limited research exists on midwives' experiences with providing prenatal GS.

Where Are the Dads? A Pilot Study of a Dads-Only Session in Group Prenatal Care.

Despite suggestions that paternal engagement is one potential strategy to impact the multifaceted problem of infant mortality, fathers' involvement in prenatal care has received little attention or study. While there is evidence that fathers want information about assisting partners and caring for newborns, the best mechanism for providing this information is unknown. A pilot study was conducted using a father-only session designed to provide information in an informal, interactive setting within a model of group prenatal care.

Achieving competency in vaginal examinations: The challenge of balancing student learning needs with best practice in maternity care.

Assessment of labor progress through vaginal digital examination (VE) remains one of the most challenging skills for midwifery students. As VE during labor has become a less frequent occurrence there are less opportunities for student midwives to gain mastery of the skill. Best practices for teaching and evaluating VE involve a step-wise, multi modal approach.

Obstetric provider approach to perinatal oral health.

Objective: To examine the practices and attitudes of obstetric providers in the state of Michigan on their approach to perinatal oral health.

Methods: An online survey was distributed using health care provider databases in the state of Michigan. Descriptive statistics were tabulated and Fisher's Exact Test was used for categorical variables.

The Value of the Maternity Care Team in the Promotion of Physiologic Birth.

The benefits of normal, physiologic birth have been well documented. Health care providers such as nurses, midwives, and physicians have distinct and significant roles in the promotion of physiologic birth processes. By supporting women and families, doulas can enhance the maternity care team and further facilitate physiologic birth.

Validity and reliability of a scale to measure genital body image.

Unlabelled: Women's body image dissatisfaction extends to body parts usually hidden from view--their genitals. Ability to measure genital body image is limited by lack of valid and reliable questionnaires. We subjected a previously developed questionnaire, the Genital Self Image Scale (GSIS) to psychometric testing using a variety of methods.