Experiences of maternity care among women at increased risk of preterm birth receiving midwifery continuity of care compared to women receiving standard care: Results from the POPPIE pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Midwifery continuity of care models for women at low and mixed risk of complications have been shown to improve women's experiences of care. However, there is limited research on care experiences among women at increased risk of preterm birth. We aimed to explore the experiences of care among women with risk factors for preterm birth participating in a pilot trial (POPPIE) of a midwifery continuity of care model which included a specialist obstetric clinic. METHODS: A total of 334 pregnant women identified at increased risk of preterm birth were randomly allocated to either midwifery continuity of care (POPPIE group) or standard maternity care. Women in both groups were followed up at six-to-eight weeks postpartum and were invited to complete a postnatal survey either online or by post. An equal status exploratory sequential mixed method design was chosen to collect and analyse the quantitative postnatal survey data and qualitative interviews data. The postnatal survey included measures of social support, trust, perceptions of safety, quality of care, control during childbirth, bonding and quality of life. Categorical data were analysed with chi-squared tests and continuous data were analysed with t-tests and/or Mann-Whitney U test to measure differences in measures scores among groups. The qualitative interview data were subjected to a thematic framework analysis. Data triangulation brought quantitative and qualitative data together at the interpretation stage. FINDINGS: A total of 166 women completed the survey and 30 women were interviewed (90 and 16 in POPPIE group; 76 and 14 in standard group). We found survey respondents in the POPPIE group, compared to respondents in the standard group, were significantly more likely to report greater trust in midwives (Mann-Whitney U, p<0.0001), greater perceptions of safety during the antenatal care (t-test, p = 0.0138), have a particular midwife to contact when they needed during their pregnancy (t-test, p<0.0001) and the postnatal period (chi-squared, p<0.0001). They reported increased involvement in decisions regarding antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care (t-test, p = 0.002; p = 0.008; p = 0.006 respectively); and greater postnatal support and advice about: feeding the baby (chi-squared, p<0.0001), handling, settling and looking after the baby (chi-squared, p<0.0001), baby's health and progress (chi-squared, p = 0.039), their own health and recovery (chi-squared, p = 0.006) and who to contact about any emotional changes (chi-squared, p = 0.005). There were no significant differences between groups in the reporting of perceptions of safety during birth and the postnatal period, concerns raised during labour and birth taken seriously, being left alone during childbirth at a time of worries, control during labour, bonding, social support, and physical and mental health related quality of life after birth. Results from qualitative interviews provided insight and depth into many of these findings, with women in the POPPIE group reporting more positive experiences of bonding towards their babies and more positive physical health postnatally. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with standard maternity care, women at increased risk of PTB who received midwifery continuity of care were more likely to report increased perceptions of trust, safety and quality of care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN (Number: 37733900); UK CRN (ID: 31951).

Behind the Scenes: Publishing in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.

The Editors of the Maternal and Child Health Journal offer an inside look at publishing in the journal, including advice for potential authors and reviewers.

Unexpected Influences-A Maternity Nursing Career and the Next Generation.

A nurse reflects on what her daughters have picked up from her career in maternity nursing, education, and research.

Experienced job autonomy among maternity care professionals in The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: High levels of experienced job autonomy are found to be beneficial for healthcare professionals and for the relationship with their patients. The aim of this study was to assess how maternity care professionals in the Netherlands perceive their job autonomy in the Dutch maternity care system and whether they expect a new system of integrated maternity care to affect their experienced job autonomy. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. The Leiden Quality of Work Life Questionnaire was used to assess experienced job autonomy among maternity care professionals. SETTING: Data were collected in the Netherlands in 2015. PARTICIPANTS: 799 professionals participated of whom 362 were primary care midwives, 240 obstetricians, 93 clinical midwives and 104 obstetric nurses. FINDINGS: The mean score for experienced job autonomy was highest for primary care midwives, followed by obstetricians, clinical midwives and obstetric nurses. Primary care midwives scored highest in expecting to lose their job autonomy in an integrated care system. KEY CONCLUSIONS: There are significant differences in experienced job autonomy between maternity care professionals. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: When changing the maternity care system it will be a challenge to maintain a high level of experienced job autonomy for professionals. A decrease in job autonomy could lead to a reduction in job related wellbeing and in satisfaction with care among pregnant women.

How have the lives of pregnant women changed in the last 30 years?

BACKGROUND: To what extent have the characteristics and needs of pregnant women changed over time? This cross-sectional, comparative study describes some socio-demographic, mental health and lifestyle characteristics of two samples of pregnant women assessed 30 years apart. METHODS: We recruited two samples of pregnant women who were attending their first clinic visit at the same large Queensland maternity hospital 30 years apart between 1981 to 1984 (Sample A, N=6753) and 2011-2012 (Sample B, N=2156). The women were compared using the same survey tool. Descriptive statistics are presented. Pearson's chi-square tests were undertaken (significance at <0.05) to determine how the characteristics and needs of pregnant women may be changing over time. FINDINGS: Women, recently sampled, were older, more highly-educated and were more likely to be living with, but not married to, their partners, as well as having their first baby, than were women 30 years ago. As well, recently sampled, pregnant women were more likely to be non-smokers, to have higher body mass indexes and more symptoms of anxiety, but were less likely to be having an unplanned pregnancy. CONCLUSION: This study found a number of differences between the socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyles and mental health of two samples of pregnant women assessed 30 years apart. Our findings suggest the need for ongoing monitoring of pregnant women to determine changing health priorities. Being more educated, today's women may be more amenable to health education interventions. Higher body mass indexes for recently sampled women, highlights an emerging problem that needs to be addressed.

Challenges and Creative Strategies in Undergraduate Nursing Education in Maternal-Child Health.

Maternal-child health (MCH) is an integral part of most nursing undergraduate curricula. However, there are variations in implementation related to classroom and clinical experiences. The purpose of this article is to describe recent trends in MCH education, explore potential challenges, and highlight creative solutions for MCH nursing education. Perinatal nursing requires a solid skill base and sound knowledge base in many subjects, including health promotion and behavior change theory. Educators need to provide students with a firm educational foundation to meet both workforce demands and the needs of childbearing women, infants, and families.

Trends in Baby-Friendly® Care in the United States: Historical Influences on Contemporary Care.

The protection that breast-feeding affords both mother and infant against acute and chronic illness is well documented. The grassroots, public health, and governmental supports for breast-feeding have influenced changes in maternal and newborn care. History indicates that the additional influence has come in the form of governmental workshops and initiatives, professional organizations, as well as The Joint Commission. This includes the influence that the Baby-Friendly® Hospital Initiative and the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding have had on infant care throughout the years. The requirements that hospitals must follow to implement all, or some, of the Ten Steps lead to change in care that not only increases breast-feeding rates but also leads to health improvements. This article reviews how an upward trend in the adoption of Baby-Friendly practices to support breast-feeding impacts infant care.

Lean in to our profession.

Nurses play a critical role in the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based health care. Nurses can "lean in" to our professional by voicing our opinions, contributing to decisions affecting health care practice and policy, and assuming leadership roles.

Did the structure of work in the public health nurse service of the Republic of Croatia change in the period 1995-2012?

In Croatia, public health nurses (PHN) have been members of family doctor (FD) teams for decades, conducting a multifunctional and polyvalent scope of activities, including health promotion, prevention, as well as part of the treatment for the inhabitants of a defined catchment area. The main aim of the study was to investigate the trends in the number and structure of PHN visits in the period from 1996 to 2012. The main sources of data were Croatian Health Service Yearbooks. The results strongly indicate that PHN's are overloaded by a high number of visits, especially to chronic patients. While mothers and new-born children are in the PHN care, pregnant women and small children are rather neglected. Considering different working conditions and differences in population needs, a review of the standard is recommendable.

Recent trends in clinicians providing care to pregnant women in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Health care needs of pregnant women are met by a variety of clinicians in a changing policy and practice environment. This study documents recent trends in types of clinicians providing care to pregnant women in the United States. METHODS: We used a repeat cross-sectional design and data from the Integrated Health Interview Series (2000-2009), a nationally representative data set, for respondents who reported being pregnant at the time of the survey (N = 3204). Using longitudinal logistic regression models, we analyzed changes over time in pregnant women's reported use of care from 1) obstetrician-gynecologists; 2) midwives, nurse practitioners (NPs), or physician assistants (PAs); or 3) both an obstetrician-gynecologist and a midwife, NP, or PA. RESULTS: The percentage of pregnant women who reported seeing an obstetrician-gynecologist (87%) remained steady from 2000 through 2009. After controlling for demographic and clinical variables, the percentage who reported receiving care from a midwife, NP, or PA increased 4% annually (yearly adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.04; P < .001), indicating a cumulative increase of 48% over the decade. The percentage of pregnant women who received care from both an obstetrician-gynecologist and a midwife, NP, or PA also increased (AOR 1.027; P < .001), for a cumulative increase of 30%. DISCUSSION: The increasing role of midwives, NPs, and PAs in the provision of maternity care suggests changes in the perinatal workforce and practice models that may promote collaborative care and quality improvement. However, better data collection is required to gather detailed information on specific provider types, these trends, and their implications.