Delivery care

The Ministry of Health and Consumption of the Spanish government has a Strategy of Attention to Childbirth, a model of action of the National Health System (NHS) created with the aim of humanizing the assistance to childbirth and giving greater power of decision to the pregnant woman.

Below you have an index with all the points that we will discuss in this article.

Index

• 1. How do you act in each country?
• 2. Clinical Practice Guideline on Normal Birth Care
• 3. Authors and collaborators

Due to new technologies, advances and the discovery of new drugs, unnecessary practices are sometimes carried out during the delivery, when the birth must be allowed to evolve spontaneously. The intention is to offer more intimacy and warmth when giving birth so that it is as natural as possible without this entailing a loss of security for the mother or the baby.

Assistance to childbirth

How do you act in each country?

If we look at the rest of European countries, we can see that there are countries like Holland, where childbirth is not as institutionalized as in Spain, are autonomous midwives who attend births in a more intimate way.

In other countries such as the United Kingdom, Norway or Germany, the Public Health System offers more options to pregnant women when giving birth, such as doing it in the water or in the most comfortable way for women, such as squatting, sideways or knees.

With the new models of action is meant to understand the delivery as a physiological and natural process, not as a disease if not a unique event in life, where women have an important role.

Clinical Practice Guideline on Normal Birth Care

The main guidelines set out in this Clinical Practice Guideline on Normal Birth Care are summarized below:

• Shaving the perineum: despite being a common practice, the guide does not recommend it, so it becomes optional. There is no evidence that shaving prevents perineal infections, even to the contrary, there are studies that suggest that when removing hair from the pubis is more exposed to microorganisms.
• Edema management: it is also optional. At the time of calving, the anal area is isolated in case there is any evacuation during the birth.
• Episiotomy: is the surgical incision of the perineum. It should be performed selectively and not as a routine. If necessary, it should be performed under anesthesia and preferably the mediolateral modality. Episiotomy is contraindicated by the WHO (World Health Organization), since it does not prevent vaginal or anal tears.
• Amniotomy, that is, breaking the amniotic bag artificially to increase the frequency and intensity of contractions. This practice can alter the normal evolution of labor, therefore it is not recommended.
• Oxytocin perfusion: like amniotomy, it is not recommended, as the unwanted effects in the mother and the fetus are not known. It is recommended only in essential cases.
• Dilation period. Good information on how to recognize the signs of dilation and onset of labor by the pregnant woman will reduce the number of visits to the hospital by false alarms. It is important to limit the number of vaginal touches to the necessary ones.
• Position of delivery: should allow pregnant women to choose the position they prefer both when dilate and to give birth in parlor. Create warm and intimate environments, so that the pregnant woman finds greater well-being and an environment of trust.

Information about childbirth

• Eating or drinking: it is recommended to allow the intake of clear liquid by the partutienta. There is no evidence regarding fasting, although some studies indicate that the fact that the mother drinks or eats does not carry any associated risk during childbirth.
• Treat the pain: the pregnant woman must be informed of the options to treat the pain, the advantages and disadvantages of each one, as well as the possible risks. It should explain the types of drugs, anesthetics, epidural and alternative forms such as acupuncture, including informing them that in a natural birth the body secretes endorphins that are substances that relieve pain.
• The umbilical cord: Late clamping of the umbilical cord is recommended. It should be allowed to collapse on its own, it may take between 3 and 20 minutes. Premature impingement can cause damage to the baby due to cerebral anoxia.
• Allow pregnant women to be accompanied at all times, since the first signs such as dilation begin until they give birth in the delivery room. Being accompanied is less stress for the woman and an environment of greater confidence. Pregnant women who receive support are less likely to need anesthesia, cesareans, etc.

For the strategy to be carried out implies that health professionals, especially those who have involvement during childbirth, should reorient their training and receive specialized and continuous training on new models and forms of action.

Research will also be strengthened to improve delivery assistance and to evaluate the most innovative practices and their impact on the physical and psychological health of mothers and fathers.

On the website of the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs you can find all this detailed information: Clinical Practice Guideline on Normal Birth Care

If you share, you help us

We make a great editorial effort. Sharing this article helps us and motivates us to continue our work.

73 Follow us in our networks

All the news about assisted reproduction in our channels.

31,872 3,898 14,705