Quality midwifery care during childbirth at a midwife obstetric unit: A qualitative study.
Sedeeka Martin, Gérard C Filies, Anneline E Robertson
PMID 41185908WHAT IT FOUND
Birthing women reported verbal abuse, ignored complaints, little support and no companion.
Midwives said they provided information and safe delivery but lacked staff and management support. Women and midwives disagreed about quality care.
Key findings
01Women said information was inadequate, while midwives said they provided sufficient information during labour.
02Women reported verbal abuse, uncaring behaviour, no care provided and not being allowed a companion.
03Midwives said lack of adequate skilled staff and lack of management support affected the care they could provide.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study was confined to a single midwife obstetric unit in Cape Town, so it may not apply to other settings. Only nine participants were interviewed, four women and five midwives. Women were selected only if they had uncomplicated births within seven days after delivery. Only women who delivered during the day and day-shift midwives were interviewed. The findings are perceptions from interviews, not measured clinical outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship or publication.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that midwives provide unsafe care or that respectful care improves birth outcomes. The study reports perceptions from nine interviews at one unit, not clinical results.