General practitioners and their role in maternity care

Area of Science:

• Medical Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Pregnancy and childbirth perception shifted from physiological to high-risk.
• Maternity care increasingly focuses on obstetrical pathology and complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the evolving role of general practitioners (GPs) in maternity care.
• To identify factors influencing GP involvement and future prospects in obstetrics.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and comparative analysis of GP roles in maternity care across different regions.
• Examination of reasons for reduced GP involvement and barriers to participation.

Main Results:

• GP involvement in maternity care has significantly decreased due to lifestyle interference, litigation fears, and training deficits.
• In North America and Australasia, GPs act as GP-obstetricians, managing both low and high-risk pregnancies, especially rurally.
• In Europe, GPs focus on uncomplicated pregnancies, often in competition with midwives, and do not manage high-risk cases.

Conclusions:

• The medicalization of childbirth has diminished the role of general practitioners in maternity care.
• To remain involved, GPs must collaborate with midwives, potentially through shared care models.