Perineal techniques during the second stage of labour for reducing perineal trauma and postpartum complications.

Rationale: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is responsible for around 27% of global maternal deaths. Perineal tears are common in vaginal births and a significant contributor to excessive blood loss. A diversity of perineal techniques are utilised to prevent perineal trauma and reduce the incidence of PPH; however, they lack evidence-based comparisons to understand their effects.

Increasing the number of midwives is necessary but not sufficient: using global data to support the case for investment in both midwife availability and the enabling work environment in low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Most countries are off-track to achieve global maternal and newborn health goals. Global stakeholders agree that investment in midwifery is an important element of the solution. During a global shortage of health workers, strategic decisions must be made about how to configure services to achieve the best possible outcomes with the available resources.

Maternity care for women from ethnic minority backgrounds in North-West England: A grounded theory study.

Aim: To understand the maternity experiences of women from minority ethnic groups who had given birth in an NHS trust in the North-West of England, and experiences of midwives caring for them.

Background: Women from minority ethnic groups have poorer maternity outcomes compared with other women. Research about maternity experiences of women from minority ethnic groups is limited but suggests that they have poorer experiences.

Labor curves based on cervical dilatation over time and their accuracy and effectiveness: A systematic scoping review.

Objectives: This systematic scoping review was conducted to 1) identify and describe labor curves that illustrate cervical dilatation over time; 2) map any evidence for, as well as outcomes used to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of the curves; and 3) identify areas in research that require further investigation.

Methods: A three-step systematic literature search was conducted for publications up to May 2023. We searched the Medline, Maternity & Infant Care, Embase, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, CINAHL, Scopus, and African Index Medicus databases for studies describing labor curves, assessing their effectiveness in improving birth outcomes, or assessing their accuracy as screening or diagnostic tools.

Questioning approaches to consent in time critical obstetric trials: findings from a mixed-methods study.

Objective: Trial legislation enables research to be conducted without prior consent (RWPC) in emergency situations, yet this approach has rarely been used in time-critical obstetric trials. This study explored views and experiences of antenatal recruitment and consent and RWPC in an emergency intrapartum randomised clinical trial.

Design: Embedded, mixed-methods study within a trial, involving questionnaires, recorded recruitment discussions, interviews and focus groups in the first 13 months of trial recruitment (December 2020-January 2022).