Midwife-led care model for reducing caesarean rate: A novel concept for worldwide birth units where standard obstetric care still dominates

Abstract

Caesarean rate has been increasing year by year in China and other countries in the world. In fact, caesarean section is associated with increased risk of maternal mortality and serious foetal pulmonary morbidity. To reduce caesarean rate, obstetricians in physician-based birth units get used to take early intervention for any delay in labour progress that could cause dystocia. However, standard obstetric care enhanced by obstetric power has not consistently been shown to reduce rate of caesarean delivery. Other than physician-based model, midwife-led model of care is aiming to promote normal birth by use of midwives’ skills as well as continuous support rather than augmentation of labour through excessive medical treatment. Midwife-led care model is novel to worldwide birth units where standard obstetric care still dominates. It has made some headway in efforts to reduce caesarean rate. The fact that standard obstetric care of childbirth have not consistently reduced rate of caesarean delivery encourages us for creating the hypotheses that midwife-led care model satisfying puerpera with care and support could minimise unnecessary obstetric intervention and facilitate vaginal birth, and finally reduces caesarean rate. This hypothesis, if confirmed, might have the potential to be disseminated elsewhere in the world, where most women still take standard obstetric care. Moreover, it has political implications for the national health-care policymaking.