Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Continuous support for women during childbirth.

E D Hodnett1, S Gates, G J Hofmeyr

  • 1Faculty of Nursing, 50 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3H4.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|August 15, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Continuous support during labor improves childbirth experiences. Women receiving one-to-one support were less likely to need pain relief or have operative births, leading to greater satisfaction.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Challenges and lessons learned during the switching of rotavirus vaccine from Rotarix to Rotavac in Zambia.

Vaccine·2025
Same author

Transcervical side by side Foley balloons for preterm breech birth: A new concept to enhance safety.

European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology·2024
Same author

Implementing E-MOTIVE for detection and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage in South Africa.

South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde·2024
Same author

Novel concepts and improvisation for treating postpartum haemorrhage: a narrative review of emerging techniques.

Reproductive health·2023
Same author

50 years of 'active management of labour' is enough.

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2023
Same author

Clinical algorithms for management of fetal heart rate abnormalities during labour.

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2022

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Evidence-Based Midwifery

Background:

  • Historically, continuous labor support by women for women was standard practice.
  • Modern hospital settings often lack continuous intrapartum support, leading to concerns about dehumanized birth experiences.
  • There is a growing movement to reinstate continuous support during labor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of continuous, one-to-one intrapartum support on mothers and newborns compared to usual care.
  • To investigate if factors like birth environment policies, caregiver affiliation, and timing of support initiation modify its effects.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
  • Searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Included 15 RCTs involving 12,791 women, analyzing both published and unpublished data.

    • Main Results:

    • Continuous intrapartum support reduced the likelihood of intrapartum analgesia and operative birth.
    • Women receiving continuous support reported higher satisfaction with their childbirth experience.
    • Benefits were more pronounced when support was provided by non-hospital staff, initiated early in labor, and in settings without routine epidural analgesia.

    Conclusions:

    • Continuous support throughout labor and birth is recommended for all women.
    • The findings support the integration of continuous labor support as a standard of care.
    • Optimizing the conditions for continuous support can maximize positive birth outcomes.