Premium
Reducing neonatal mortality rate with nurse‐midwives
Author(s) -
LEVY BARRY S.,
WILKINSON FREDERICK S.,
MARINE WILLIAM M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
the journal of midwifery and womens health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.543
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1542-2011
pISSN - 1526-9523
DOI - 10.1016/j.jmwh.2005.02.007
Subject(s) - medicine , discontinuation , economic shortage , neonatal mortality , infant mortality , prenatal care , nursing , neonatal death , obstetrics , mortality rate , family medicine , pregnancy , demography , environmental health , population , fetus , sociology , linguistics , philosophy , surgery , government (linguistics) , biology , genetics
ABSTRACT Newborn health indices were measured before, during, and after a demonstration nurse‐midwife program introduced to relieve a health manpower shortage at a county hospital in rural California. During the program, prenatal care increased, and prematurity and neonatal mortality rate decreased at the county hospital. After the 3 year program, prenatal care decreased while prematurity rose from 6.6 to 9.8 per cent (p < 0.02) and neonatal mortality rate rose from 10.3 to 32.1 per 1,000 live births (p < 0.005). No significant changes occurred in the same indices for births elsewhere in the county throughout the period of study. It is concluded that the discontinuation of the nurse‐midwives'services was the major factor in these changes, and it is suggested that nurse‐midwives be used more extensively.