Women's Interest in Midwifery Continuity of Care During and After Pregnancy and Childbirth in Sweden: "As a Matter of Course".

Women chose whether to respond, and those already interested in midwifery continuity of care may have been more likely to take part, so the level of interest may be overestimated. The questionnaire was available only in Swedish, so non-Swedish-speaking women were excluded. Participants had higher education than the general female population, and mean age was slightly higher than the national average for pregnant women in Sweden. Some postpartum invitations were not delivered because women mistyped email addresses. This caused some loss of follow-up. The study reports associations with interest, not proof that midwifery continuity of care improves birth experiences or clinical outcomes.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. H.F. is supported by her employer Region Uppsala, and the paper says this funding did not influence the design or conduct of the research.

Do not read high interest as proof that midwifery continuity of care improves birth outcomes. The study asked women about preferences and linked interest to fear of childbirth or dissatisfaction with care. It did not compare midwifery continuity of care with another model or test clinical outcomes.