Natural childbirth ideology is endangering women and babies.
Natural childbirth ideology has become dominant across much of the developed world. This ideology increasingly clashes with the reality of modern obstetrics, which is dealing with a demographic that is getting older and more obese, hence more complicated, and it has become a danger to the health of women and babies. The most visible expression of these trends is the focus on caesarean section rates which have become a key performance indicator of obstetric services. This trend is resulting in increasingly obvious negative consequences for morbidity and mortality, as chronicled in the Morecambe Bay Report, published in the UK last year. At the same time, there is mounting emphasis on patient autonomy in obstetric decision-making, which mandates informed consent. A 2015 Supreme Court decision in the UK (Montgomery vs Lanarkshire) is likely to impact on obstetric management in Australia and New Zealand. The 'paternalism in a skirt' of natural childbirth ideology is already exposing obstetricians and services to an ever-increasing degree of medicolegal risk.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sydney Medical School Nepean, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. hpdietz@bigpond.com.
Hans Peter
HP
Dietz
Christchurch, New Zealand.
Lynda
L
Exton
D001315:Australia; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D009321:Natural Childbirth; D009520:New Zealand; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D057240:Patient Preference; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011247:Pregnancy
birth; ideology; morbidity; mortality; normal vaginal delivery