The importance of evaluating primary midwifery care for improving the health of women and infants

In most countries, maternal and newborn care is fragmented and focused on identification and treatment of pathology that affects only the minority of women and babies. Recently, a Framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC) was developed, which encourages a system-level shift to provide s...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ank eDe Jonge, Raymond eDe Vries, Antoine LM Lagro-Janssen, Address eMalata, Eugene eDeclercq, Soo eDowne, Eileen K Hutton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmed.2015.00017/full
_version_ 1818562192387080192
author Ank eDe Jonge
Raymond eDe Vries
Raymond eDe Vries
Antoine LM Lagro-Janssen
Address eMalata
Eugene eDeclercq
Soo eDowne
Eileen K Hutton
Eileen K Hutton
author_facet Ank eDe Jonge
Raymond eDe Vries
Raymond eDe Vries
Antoine LM Lagro-Janssen
Address eMalata
Eugene eDeclercq
Soo eDowne
Eileen K Hutton
Eileen K Hutton
author_sort Ank eDe Jonge
collection DOAJ
description In most countries, maternal and newborn care is fragmented and focused on identification and treatment of pathology that affects only the minority of women and babies. Recently, a Framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC) was developed, which encourages a system-level shift to provide skilled care for all. This care includes preventive and supportive care that works to strengthen women’s capabilities and focuses on promotion of normal reproductive processes while ensuring access to emergency treatment when needed. Midwifery care is pivotal in this framework which contains several elements that resonate with the main dimensions of primary care. Primary health care is the first level of contact with the health system where most of the population’s curative and preventive health needs can be fulfilled as close as possible to where people live and work. In this paper, we argue that midwifery as described in the framework requires the application of a primary care philosophy for all childbearing women and infants. Evaluation of the implementation of the framework should therefore include tools to monitor the performance of primary midwifery care.
first_indexed 2024-12-14T01:00:28Z
format Article
id doaj.art-7c456bd0f96d4167a1e5c3317e38b792
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2296-858X
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-14T01:00:28Z
publishDate 2015-03-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Medicine
spelling doaj.art-7c456bd0f96d4167a1e5c3317e38b7922022-12-21T23:23:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2015-03-01210.3389/fmed.2015.00017137230The importance of evaluating primary midwifery care for improving the health of women and infantsAnk eDe Jonge0Raymond eDe Vries1Raymond eDe Vries2Antoine LM Lagro-Janssen3Address eMalata4Eugene eDeclercq5Soo eDowne6Eileen K Hutton7Eileen K Hutton8AVAG/ EMGO, VU University Medical CenterSchool of Medicine, University of MichiganMidwifery Academy MaastrichtRadboud University Medical CenterUniversity of MalawiBoston University School of Public HealthUniversity of Central LancashireMcMaster UniversityAVAG/ EMGO, VU University Medical CenterIn most countries, maternal and newborn care is fragmented and focused on identification and treatment of pathology that affects only the minority of women and babies. Recently, a Framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC) was developed, which encourages a system-level shift to provide skilled care for all. This care includes preventive and supportive care that works to strengthen women’s capabilities and focuses on promotion of normal reproductive processes while ensuring access to emergency treatment when needed. Midwifery care is pivotal in this framework which contains several elements that resonate with the main dimensions of primary care. Primary health care is the first level of contact with the health system where most of the population’s curative and preventive health needs can be fulfilled as close as possible to where people live and work. In this paper, we argue that midwifery as described in the framework requires the application of a primary care philosophy for all childbearing women and infants. Evaluation of the implementation of the framework should therefore include tools to monitor the performance of primary midwifery care.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmed.2015.00017/fullMaternal Health ServicesMidwiferyPrimary Health CareMedical interventionNewborn health
spellingShingle Ank eDe Jonge
Raymond eDe Vries
Raymond eDe Vries
Antoine LM Lagro-Janssen
Address eMalata
Eugene eDeclercq
Soo eDowne
Eileen K Hutton
Eileen K Hutton
The importance of evaluating primary midwifery care for improving the health of women and infants
Frontiers in Medicine
Maternal Health Services
Midwifery
Primary Health Care
Medical intervention
Newborn health
title The importance of evaluating primary midwifery care for improving the health of women and infants
title_full The importance of evaluating primary midwifery care for improving the health of women and infants
title_fullStr The importance of evaluating primary midwifery care for improving the health of women and infants
title_full_unstemmed The importance of evaluating primary midwifery care for improving the health of women and infants
title_short The importance of evaluating primary midwifery care for improving the health of women and infants
title_sort importance of evaluating primary midwifery care for improving the health of women and infants
topic Maternal Health Services
Midwifery
Primary Health Care
Medical intervention
Newborn health
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmed.2015.00017/full
work_keys_str_mv AT ankedejonge theimportanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT raymondedevries theimportanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT raymondedevries theimportanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT antoinelmlagrojanssen theimportanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT addressemalata theimportanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT eugeneedeclercq theimportanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT sooedowne theimportanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT eileenkhutton theimportanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT eileenkhutton theimportanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT ankedejonge importanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT raymondedevries importanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT raymondedevries importanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT antoinelmlagrojanssen importanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT addressemalata importanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT eugeneedeclercq importanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT sooedowne importanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT eileenkhutton importanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants
AT eileenkhutton importanceofevaluatingprimarymidwiferycareforimprovingthehealthofwomenandinfants