title: Research summaries for normal birth.
abstract: In this column, the author summarizes research studies relevant to normal birth. The studies summarized include a large trial evaluating the effect of prior vaginal births after a cesarean on outcomes in subsequent births; a study linking umbilical cord blood pH with intellectual outcomes in childhood; and a prospective trial evaluating the effect of routine antenatal nonstress testing on maternal anxiety. The author also highlights four articles about normal birth in a recent nursing journal series dedicated to the topic.
authors.affiliation: AMY ROMANO is a midwife, author, and advocate for mother-friendly maternity care. She has provided research and advocacy support to the Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth since 2004 and now works as a home- and hospital-based midwife in Connecticut.
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Romano