Midwives' use of complementary/alternative treatments.
BACKGROUND
in recent years, several surveys have suggested that many midwives use some form of complementary/alternative therapy (CAT), often without the knowledge of obstetricians.


OBJECTIVE
to systematically review all surveys of CAT use by midwives.


METHODS
six electronic databases were searched using text terms and MeSH for CAT and midwifery.


METHODS
surveys were included if they reported quantitative data on the prevalence of CAT use by midwives.


METHODS
full-text articles of all relevant surveys were obtained. Data were extracted according to pre-defined criteria.


RESULTS
19 surveys met the inclusion criteria. Most were recent and from the USA. Prevalence data varied but were usually high, often close to 100%. Much use of CATs does not seem to be supported by strong evidence for efficacy.


CONCLUSIONS
most midwives seem to use CATs. As not all CATs are without risks, the issue should be debated openly.
Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter EX2 4SG, UK. Edzard.Ernst@pms.ac.uk
Edzard
E
Ernst
Leala K
LK
Watson
D001294:Attitude to Health; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D061214:Patient Safety; D011247:Pregnancy