Nurse-midwifery care in an academic health center.
A study of 1,966 women who registered in a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) program for pregnancy and delivery at an academic health center is reported. Eleven percent either were medically disqualified or voluntarily transferred out of the program. Of the 1,852 women who entered labor, 46.5% required MD consultation most often for dysfunctional labor patterns. The primary cesarean section rate was 10.4%. The corrected perinatal mortality rate was 3.80/1,000 births. CNM care is a safe, cost-effective, and sought-after alternative to MD-only care for low-risk women within a tertiary care setting.
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D005323:Fetal Monitoring; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009721:Nurse Midwives / Q000592:standards*; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications; D009775:Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D014707:Vermont; D000078329:Workforce