CHILDBIRTH: More Women Turning to Midwives
A government report released Thursday shows that while more pregnant women are employing modern birth techniques, such as inducing labor and using ultrasounds and fetal monitors, more are also turning to midwives. The report's findings included:
- the use of midwives increased from 3.7% in 1989 to 7% in 1997;
- midwifery practice varied from state to state, with less than 1% in MO to 20% in NM;
- the use of ultrasounds and electronic fetal monitoring increased 48%-64% and 68%-83% respectively between 1989 and 1997; and
- the number of induced labors doubled 9%-18% during this same period.
Sally Curtin of the National Center for Health Statistics and co-author of the study, said that the findings are "ironic" and "not completely understood." But midwife and author Judith Rooks and Massachusetts General Hospital Chief of Obstetrics Dr. Fredric Frigoletto offer possible reasons for this seemingly contradictory trend. Rooks speculates that women are choosing midwives because they "don't want such a medical approach," and because midwifery emphasizes the "woman as a future mother, not just as a patient." Frigoletto says that although induced labor is sometimes medically necessary, many times it is "simply for the convenience of the patient or the doctor." He adds that the increased use of ultrasounds and electronic fetal monitoring is in part because more physicians are trained to use these technologies and "because fewer are uncomfortable with it" (Meckler, AP/Contra Costa Times, 12/2).
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