Midwifery Care: An Evolutionary Concept Analysis.
Martina Barbieri, Andrea Moro, Gianluca Catania and 5 others
PMID 41206804WHAT IT FOUND
Midwifery care was defined as continuous, family-centred care across pregnancy, birth and reproductive life, built on trust, shared decisions and broad safety.
It is a concept analysis, not outcome evidence.
Key findings
01Midwifery care was defined as specialised care supporting women and families through sexual and reproductive life, with deep continuous relationships central.
02Two core attributes were relationship and family-centredness, and three consequence categories were safety, empowerment and professional outcomes.
03The proposed definition emphasises open communication, shared decision-making, autonomy and safety across physical, psychological, social, moral, cultural and religious domains.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a concept analysis, not a patient study, so it cannot show whether midwifery care improves outcomes. The included sources were mainly from high-income countries, limiting transferability to lower-income settings. The sources were thematically homogeneous and did not directly engage marginalised groups, including minorities, disadvantaged populations and LGBTQ+ people. The search was limited to English or Italian publications. Less relevant sources were added to meet a minimum of 30 sources, and included sources varied in relevance.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that midwifery care improves maternal or newborn outcomes. It is a concept analysis of published literature and definitions, not a trial or outcome study.