Midwives are key in promoting maternal health

While motherhood is often a positive and fulfilling experience, for too many women it is associated with suffering, ill-health and even death.

With mental health issues being a prevalent cause of maternal mortality and maternal obesity being one of the largest future challenges facing maternity services; midwives must be pro-active in addressing all maternal and perinatal health issues, to reduce risk and provide better outcomes

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These are just a few of the issues addressed in this supplement published by BJM:

• What are the complications associated with maternal obesity?
• How can midwives help prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and how should they monitor women with a BMI over 30?
• What are the adverse perinatal outcomes associated with low maternal BMI?
• How could investment in dietetic services improve health in pregnancy and subsequently prevent complications and reduce the risk of maternal and infant death?
• What are possible reasons for the disappointing compliance with the guidelines for folic acid supplementation?
• What is the relationship between folic acid and neural tube defects?
• What improvements can be made to assist midwives in detecting mental health issues and help prevent maternal death from psychiatric causes?
• How can midwives utilize appreciative inquiry to promote maternal and child health?

Do not miss out on this exclusive Maternal Health Supplement brought to you by British Journal of Midwifery, the leading clinical journal for midwives. Published each month, the journal is written by midwives for midwives and peer reviewed by some of the foremost authorities in the profession. It contains the best clinical reviews, original research and evidence-based articles available, and ensures that midwives are kept fully up-to-date with the latest developments taking place in clinical practice.