General practitioners and their role in maternity care

During the last century the perception of pregnancy and childbirth has changed from a normal, physiological life-event to a potentially dangerous condition. Maternity care has become more and more obstetrical care, focussed on pathology and complications. The involvement of general practitioners (GPs) in maternity care is strongly reduced and almost everywhere the same reasons are found: interference with lifestyle and interruption of office routine, fear of litigation and costs of malpractice insurance, insufficient training and insufficient numbers of cases to retain competency. In Canada, the USA, and to a lesser extent in Australia and New Zealand, GPs still providing intrapartum care are GP-obstetricians rather than maternity care providers. They provide low-risk as well as high-risk obstetrical care, especially in rural areas with few specialist obstetricians. In Europe, GPs do not provide high-risk obstetrical care. Instead they emphasize their role as generalist, and compete with midwives for a central role in maternity care for women with an uncomplicated pregnancy. The ongoing medicalisation of childbirth and the changing attitudes towards the demands of maternity care practice have diminished the role of GPs or family physicians. If they want to stay involved in maternity care in the future they need to cooperate with midwives, preferably in shared care programs.