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Pregnancy

Vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy, lactation and infancy: why is it fundamental?

Vitamin D, known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, is made in the skin in response to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, and once activated in the body to the hormone calcitriol (1,25 dihydroxy-vitamin D), it...

Primiparous women's narratives of confidence in the perinatal period

Pregnancy and childbirth are described as transitional phases or existential thresholds that childbearing women have to cross These events are multifaceted experiences with many dimensions, unique for...

Management of first trimester pregnancy loss: mifepristone plus misoprostol versus misoprostol alone

Miscarriage occurs in 20% of all pregnancies (Fernlund et al, 2018) and medical management using misoprostol is now a popular treatment option as opposed to surgical intervention Current research...

‘We are just obsessed with risk’: healthcare providers' views on choice of place of birth for women

It is a woman's right to make an informed choice regarding where she wishes to give birth (Birthrights, 2013) Globally, it is recommended that women's individual health needs should be taken into...

Effect of relaxation exercise on fasting blood glucose and blood pressure in gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is one of the most common complications of pregnancy (Spaight et al, 2016) The prevalence of gestational diabetes in developed and developing countries is increasing (Donovan et...

Diabetes, pregnancy and mental health: a tricky triad

Diabetes is one of the most common complications of pregnancy and encompasses gestational diabetes mellitus, which is diagnosed during pregnancy; and pre-existing diabetes, which includes type 1...

Diabetes in pregnancy: a practical guide for midwives

The incidence of diabetes mellitus is increasing, alongside the increased prevalence of obesity, sedentary lifestyle, older age at conception and younger age at onset of type 2 diabetes, meaning that...

Chiropractic care of the pregnant woman and neonate

Chiropractic practice is based on the theory that alterations to the biomechanics of the spinal and extraspinal structures, such as the cranial and mandible bones, can lead to altered neural signals...

Pregnancy-specific health anxiety: symptom or diagnosis?

Anxiety is an innate human response to situations that cause fear, worry or concern It is experienced cognitively, emotionally and somatically Certain levels of anxiety are expected and typical when...

Physical activity in pregnancy: practical advice for women who run

Running is embraced globally as a pastime to keep fit and health, and yet there is little information for midwives to give to women runners Running is, according to Audickas (2017), the most common...

Using a smartphone app to identify signs of pre-eclampsia and/or worsening blood pressure

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are classified as gestational hypertension, pre-existing or chronic hypertension and pre-eclampsia HDP complicate 10% of pregnancies and the incidence of...

Efficacy of oral glucose tolerance testing of pregnant women post bariatric surgery

Globally, an estimated one in five women aged 20 years or older is obese, defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 (Ng et al, 2014) It is becoming increasingly common for pregnant women to have...

Epilepsy in pregnancy: The role of the midwife in risk management

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disease to be found during pregnancy, and has a significant risk of morbidity and mortality to the woman and the developing fetus (Borgelt et al, 2016; Knight...

Communication with health professionals: The views of pregnant women with a raised BMI

Women with a raised body mass index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2 have an increased risk of pregnancy-related complications and adverse outcomes (Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries, 2010) For most adults,...

Overcoming the barriers of vitamin D in pregnancy: A midwifery public health perspective

Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2008, 2017a; 2017b) and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) (2014a) recommends vitamin D...

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