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A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth is an overview of results of the best available research about effects of specific maternity practices. The full text of the current edition (Oxford University Press, 2000) is available on this website courtesy of the authors: Murray Enkin, Marc J.N.C. Keirse, James Neilson, Caroline Crowther, Lelia Duley, Ellen Hodnett and Justus Hofmeyr. A separate page provides information about this Guide.

The book's table of contents appears below. Click on chapter titles to see the chapter outline and download a PDF of the chapter in full.

Contents

[all front matter, including preface and acknowledgements]


  Basic care
1   What do we mean by 'effective care'? 3
2   Evaluating care in pregnancy and childbirth 5
3   Support for pregnant women 16
4   Antenatal education [childbirth education] 24
5   Lifestyle in pregnancy 29
6   Dietary modification in pregnancy 38


  Screening
7   Risk scoring 49
8   Imaging ultrasound in pregnancy 53
9   Screening for congenital anomalies 60
10   Screening for pre-eclampsia 67
11   Gestational diabetes 75
12   Assessment of fetal growth, size, and well-being 79


  Pregnancy problems
13   Unpleasant symptoms in pregnancy 95
14   Miscarriage 108
15   Hypertension in pregnancy 119
16   Fetal compromise 133
17   Multiple pregnancy 141
18   Rhesus iso-immunization 148
19   Infection in pregnancy 154
20   Diabetes in pregnancy 169
21   Bleeding in the latter half of pregnancy 178
22   Suspected fetopelvic disproportion and abnormal lie 185
23   Prelabor rupture of the membranes 196
24   Preterm labor 211
25   Promoting pulmonary maturity 226
26   Post-term pregnancy 234
27   Fetal death 240


  Childbirth
28   Social and professional support in childbirth 247
29   Hospital practices 255
30   Care of the fetus during labor 267
31   Monitoring the progress of labor 281
32   The second stage of labor 289
33   The third stage of labor 300


  Problems during childbirth
34   Control of pain in labor 313
35   Prolonged labor 332
36   Repair of perineal trauma 341
37   Preterm birth 347
38   Labor and birth after previous cesarean section 359


  Techniques of induction and operative delivery
39   Preparing for induction of labor 375
40   Methods of inducing labor 383
41   Instrumental vaginal delivery 397
42   Cesarean section 404
43   Prophylactic antibiotics with cesarean section 409


  Care after childbirth
44   Immediate care of the newborn infant 417
45   Mother and baby 429
46   Breastfeeding 439
47   Perineal pain and discomfort 457
48   Breast symptoms in women who are not breastfeeding 467
49   Loss and grief in the perinatal period 471


  Synopsis
50   Effective care in pregnancy and childbirth: a synopsis 485

 
Table 1   Beneficial forms of care 487
Table 2   Forms of care likely to be beneficial 489
Table 3   Forms of care with a trade-off between beneficial and adverse effects 494
Table 4   Forms of care of unknown effectiveness 496
Table 5   Forms of care unlikely to be beneficial 500
Table 6   Forms of care likely to be ineffective or harmful 506

Index 509

Most recent page update: 11/7/2007
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Childbirth Connection is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1918 as Maternity Center Association. Our mission is to improve the quality of maternity care through research, education, advocacy and policy. Childbirth Connection promotes safe, effective and satisfying evidence-based maternity care and is a voice for the needs and interests of childbearing families.
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