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.
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.
Amy M
AM
Romano