Obstetrics in the physical therapy curriculum

We report the status of obstetric education in physical therapy curricula. A questionnaire was sent to 83 accredited physical therapy education programs. Of the respondents from 69 programs, 47 (68%) included a specific unit or information on obstetrics in their program. The reporting programs averaged 7.5 hours for obstetric education. The unit was required in 45 of the 47 programs. Topics covered included anatomy and physiology, psychology, labor and delivery sequence, relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, prenatal and postpartum exercises, body mechanics, nutrition, fetal development, and birthing alternatives. Fifty-three percent of the units were taught by a physical therapist and combination of other professionals including a nurse, physician, nutritionist, psychiatric social worker, physiologist, or anatomist. We present behavioral objectives, required readings, and audiovisual aids used in the units.