First, do no harm: how routine interventions, common restrictions, and the organization of our health-care system affect the health of mothers and newborns.
In this column, the author reprises recent selections from the Lamaze International research blog, Science & Sensibility. Each selection discusses a new study that demonstrates the "First, do no harm" principle in a different way. New research on the potentially harmful effects of intravenous lines demonstrates that refraining from routine interventions in labor protects the safety of women and babies. A new systematic review of movement and position changes in labor shows that eliminating unfounded restrictions also protects maternal and infant health and well-being. Finally, a study of patterns of use of neonatal intensive care units reveals how the organization of the maternity care system itself can affect the health outcomes of its beneficiaries.
Romano
Amy M
AM
AMY M. ROMANO is a midwife, author, and advocate for mother-friendly maternity care. She has analyzed, summarized, and critiqued research for the Lamaze International community since 2004 and is currently co-authoring the second edition of Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities with Henci Goer. Romano is also a practicing home- and hospital-based midwife in Connecticut.