BMJ 1999;318:721-723 ( 13 March )

Clinical review

ABC of labour care

Place of birth

Luke Zander,  Geoffrey Chamberlain. 

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The management of childbirth is continuously evolving, reflecting changes in clinical, psychological, and social factors. In the past 50 years there have been dramatic falls in perinatal and maternal mortality, a steady increase in the amount of technological intervention in the management of labour, and a change in the roles of members of the maternity care team.


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Over the past 60 years the proportion of births at home has fallen markedly from 80% in 1930 to 1% in 1990, but in the past eight years the proportion has begun to rise again. Some studies suggest that 10-14% of women would choose this option if given the opportunity. A similar trend has been seen in all Western countries except the Netherlands, where, in 1995, 32% of births still occurred in the home.


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When considering how a birth is to be conducted, attention must be given to both risks and benefits. The debate over the place of . . . [Full text of this article]
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