title: Women who receive continuous support during labour have reduced risk of caesarean, instrumental delivery or need for analgesia compared to usual care.
abstract: Models of care supporting continuous support during labour were shown to be more likely to result in a spontaneous vaginal birth. Women receiving continuous support required less analgesia and were less likely to report negative feelings about the birth experience. Women receiving continuous support experienced shorter labours and their babies were less likely to have low 5-min Agpar scores. Therefore, such models of care should be considered for more extensive implementation in clinical practice settings.
authors.affiliation: Midwifery Professorial Unit, La Trobe University/Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia. S.mcdonald@latrobe.edu.au
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McDonald