Birth attendant: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:26, 22 March 2025

A person who assists during childbirth

A birth attendant is a person who provides support and care to a woman during childbirth. Birth attendants can include a variety of professionals such as midwives, obstetricians, and nurses, as well as non-professional support persons like doulas. The role of a birth attendant is crucial in ensuring the safety and well-being of both the mother and the newborn during the birthing process.

Types of Birth Attendants[edit]

Midwives[edit]

Midwives are trained health professionals who specialize in supporting women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. They are skilled in normal deliveries and are trained to recognize and manage complications, referring to higher-level care when necessary. Midwives often provide personalized care and support, focusing on the natural process of childbirth.

Obstetricians[edit]

Obstetricians are medical doctors who specialize in the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. They are trained to handle complex and high-risk pregnancies and are skilled in performing surgical procedures such as cesarean sections. Obstetricians often work in hospital settings and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care.

Nurses[edit]

Nurses who specialize in maternal and child health, such as labor and delivery nurses, play a vital role in supporting women during childbirth. They assist with monitoring the health of the mother and baby, provide emotional support, and help with pain management techniques. Nurses work closely with midwives and obstetricians to ensure a safe delivery.

Doulas[edit]

Doulas are non-medical professionals who provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a woman before, during, and shortly after childbirth. While they do not perform clinical tasks, doulas are trained to offer comfort measures, advocate for the mother's preferences, and facilitate communication between the mother and healthcare providers.

Role and Responsibilities[edit]

The primary role of a birth attendant is to ensure the safety and well-being of the mother and newborn during childbirth. This includes:

Monitoring the progress of labor and identifying any complications.
Providing emotional support and reassurance to the mother.
Assisting with pain management techniques, such as breathing exercises and positioning.
Facilitating communication between the mother and healthcare team.
Supporting the mother in making informed decisions about her care.
Assisting with the immediate care of the newborn, including Apgar scoring and breastfeeding support.

Settings for Birth Attendants[edit]

Birth attendants can work in various settings, including:

Hospitals: Most births in developed countries occur in hospitals, where a full range of medical services is available.
Birth centers: These are facilities that provide a more home-like environment for childbirth, often staffed by midwives.
Home births: Some women choose to give birth at home, attended by a midwife or doula, to have a more personalized and intimate experience.

Importance of Skilled Birth Attendants[edit]

The presence of a skilled birth attendant is associated with improved outcomes for both mothers and babies. Skilled attendants are trained to manage normal deliveries and recognize complications early, reducing the risk of maternal and neonatal mortality. Access to skilled birth attendants is a key component of efforts to improve maternal and child health globally.

Related Pages[edit]

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-A '''birth attendant''', also known as '''skilled birth attendant''', is a [[health care provider|health professional]] who provides basic and emergency care to women and their newborns during [[pregnancy]], [[childbirth]] and the [[postpartum period]]. A birth attendant, who may be a [[midwife]], [[physician]], [[obstetrician]], or [[nurse]], is trained to be present at ("attend") childbirth, whether the delivery takes place in a [[health care provider|health care institution]] or [[home birth|at home]], to recognize and respond appropriately to [[complications of pregnancy|medical complications]], and to implement interventions to help prevent them in the first place, including through [[prenatal care]].<ref>World Health Organization. 2002. ''Global action for skilled attendants for pregnant women.'' http://www.who.int/making_pregnancy_safer/documents/who_fch_rhr_0203/en/index.html</ref> Different birth attendants are able to provide different levels of care.
+{{Short description|A person who assists during childbirth}}
-==Types of midwives==
+A '''birth attendant''' is a person who provides support and care to a woman during [[childbirth]]. Birth attendants can include a variety of professionals such as [[midwives]], [[obstetricians]], and [[nurses]], as well as non-professional support persons like [[doulas]]. The role of a birth attendant is crucial in ensuring the safety and well-being of both the mother and the newborn during the birthing process.
-There are three different types of midwives.  There is a nurse-midwife who must obtain a high level of education, either bachelors or masters in midwifery, after becoming a nurse. Nurse-midwives can serve in most birthing centers, hospitals, and can have a private home birth practice.
-Then there is a Certified Professional Midwife.  This midwife can obtain a license by following an apprenticeship/internship style of learning, along with other certifications.  She must pass a board exam through states/countries that allow for this license and can only be available in a home birth setting.
+==Types of Birth Attendants==
-Lastly there are Direct Entry Midwives.  These midwives are trained through an apprenticeship/internship process and are only allowed in home birth settings as well. They do not hold a professional license but rather serve as lay midwives wherever they are needed.<ref>http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/maternal/skilled_birth/en/</ref>
+===Midwives===
+[[Midwives]] are trained health professionals who specialize in supporting women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. They are skilled in normal deliveries and are trained to recognize and manage complications, referring to higher-level care when necessary. Midwives often provide personalized care and support, focusing on the natural process of childbirth.
-==Birth attendant versus birth assistant==
+===Obstetricians===
-A distinction must be made between "birth attendant" and others who may provide support and care during pregnancy and childbirth, based on professional training and skills, [[healthcare provider requisites|practice regulations]], as well as nature of care delivered. Birth attendants are typically trained to perform clinical functions for basic and emergency obstetric and neonatal care, including administration of [[parenteral]] antibiotics, [[oxytocic]]s and anticonvulsants; manual removal of [[placenta]]; removal of retained products of placenta; assisted [[vaginal delivery]]; and newborn resuscitation.<ref>Gupta N et al. [http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/9/1/16/abstract Human resources for maternal, newborn and child health: from measurement and planning to performance for improved health outcomes.] ''Human Resources for Health'' 2011, 9:16 {{doi|10.1186/1478-4491-9-16}}</ref> Depending on the legal [[scope of practice]], this may also include performing [[cesarean section]]s.
+[[Obstetricians]] are medical doctors who specialize in the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. They are trained to handle complex and high-risk pregnancies and are skilled in performing surgical procedures such as [[cesarean sections]]. Obstetricians often work in hospital settings and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care.
-A birth assistant, also known as a [[doula]], "birth worker", "labor support person", "labour coach", or "childbirth educator", is someone other than the above who provides emotional support and general care and advice to women and families during pregnancy and childbirth.<ref name="WHO2010">World Health Organization. 2010. ''Classifying health workers''. http://www.who.int/hrh/statistics/Health_workers_classification.pdf</ref>  A doula usually offers support services to the family in the weeks following the birth ("postpartum doula", see [[Postpartum confinement]]) and may also assist during labor and childbirth ("birth doula").
+===Nurses===
+[[Nurses]] who specialize in maternal and child health, such as [[labor and delivery nurses]], play a vital role in supporting women during childbirth. They assist with monitoring the health of the mother and baby, provide emotional support, and help with pain management techniques. Nurses work closely with midwives and obstetricians to ensure a safe delivery.
-In many developing countries, a [[traditional birth attendant]], also known as a traditional midwife, is a person who provide basic pregnancy and birthing care and advice based primarily on experience and knowledge acquired informally through the traditions and practices of the communities where they originated.<ref name="WHO2010"/>  They usually have no modern health care training and are not typically subject to professional regulation.
+===Doulas===
+[[Doulas]] are non-medical professionals who provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a woman before, during, and shortly after childbirth. While they do not perform clinical tasks, doulas are trained to offer comfort measures, advocate for the mother's preferences, and facilitate communication between the mother and healthcare providers.
-==See also==
+==Role and Responsibilities==
-*[[Maternal health]]
+The primary role of a birth attendant is to ensure the safety and well-being of the mother and newborn during childbirth. This includes:
-*[[Reproductive health]]
-==References==
+* Monitoring the progress of labor and identifying any complications.
-{{reflist}}
+* Providing emotional support and reassurance to the mother.
+* Assisting with pain management techniques, such as breathing exercises and positioning.
+* Facilitating communication between the mother and healthcare team.
+* Supporting the mother in making informed decisions about her care.
+* Assisting with the immediate care of the newborn, including [[Apgar scoring]] and breastfeeding support.
-==External links==
+==Settings for Birth Attendants==
-* [http://www.who.int/making_pregnancy_safer/en/ World Health Organization: ''Making Pregnancy Safer'']
+Birth attendants can work in various settings, including:
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Birth Attendant}}
+* [[Hospitals]]: Most births in developed countries occur in hospitals, where a full range of medical services is available.
-[[Category:Obstetrics]]
+* [[Birth centers]]: These are facilities that provide a more home-like environment for childbirth, often staffed by midwives.
-[[Category:Midwifery]]
+* [[Home births]]: Some women choose to give birth at home, attended by a midwife or doula, to have a more personalized and intimate experience.
+==Importance of Skilled Birth Attendants==
+The presence of a skilled birth attendant is associated with improved outcomes for both mothers and babies. Skilled attendants are trained to manage normal deliveries and recognize complications early, reducing the risk of maternal and neonatal mortality. Access to skilled birth attendants is a key component of efforts to improve maternal and child health globally.
-{{pregnancy}}
+==Related Pages==
-{{Reproductive health}}
+* [[Midwifery]]
-{{dictionary-stub1}}
+* [[Obstetrics]]
+* [[Maternal health]]
+* [[Neonatal care]]
+* [[Childbirth]]
+[[Category:Childbirth]]
+[[Category:Healthcare occupations]]