Triangle Birth Network
Empowering families. Improving birth.

Birth In The News :: 2007 July

New Releases from Cochrane: Skin-to-Skin Contact and Labor Support Produce Better Outcomes

The Cochrane Collaboration, an international nonprofit, independent organization that produces and disseminates systematic reviews of health care interventions and promotes the search for evidence in the form of clinical trials and other studies of interventions, has released two new analyses on “age old” practices.

In one study, immediate mother-to-child skin-to-skin contact, also known as “kangaroo care,” has been shown to faciliate successful breastfeeding early on as compared to births where the infant was taken away to be swaddled or washed.

In a second study, the presence of a midwife, doula or supportive family member throughout labor was shown to reduce labor lengths, reduce the use of pain medications during labor, and increase a mother’s satisfaction with her birth experience.

Snuggling and support — two age old practices — shown through rigorous science to really work! For more information on the two analyses, visit the Newswise press release.

For more information on the Cochrane Collaberation visit www.cochrane.org.

Forbes.com Highlights Rising Cesarean Rate

It’s all in the media: the Cesarean rate is rising in this country, with little appearing to counter the trend. In 2005, the latest year for which data are available, the Cesarean rate stood at 30.2%. Nearly one in three moms are delivering via Cesarean these days. Is this a sign of improved maternity care? Are we helping moms and babies with this trend? This informative article details why the answer to these questions is “probably not.” Read the full article here.