Making Motherhood Safe (World Bank, 1993, 161 pages): Appendix 3

Making Motherhood Safe (World Bank, 1993, 161 pages)

		(introductory text...)
		Abstract
		Foreword
		Acknowledgements
		Abbreviations
		Executive summary
		Chapter 1 - Maternal morbidity and mortality and the consequences
		Chapter 2 - Essential elements of a safe motherhood program
		Chapter 3 - A strategy for safe motherhood in representative settings
		Chapter 4 - Policy and planning considerations
		Chapter 5 - The costs of safe motherhood
		Chapter 6 - Measuring progress
		Appendix 1 - Effective maternal health care: Family planning and prenatal, labor, delivery, and postpartum care
		Appendix 2 - Country examples of safe motherhood programs
		Appendix 3 - The role of the midwife
		Appendix 4 - Maternity center facilities and equipment
		Appendix 5 - Behavior change: The role of information, education, and communications in safe motherhood programs
		Appendix 6 - Maternal and perinatal health assessment
		Appendix 7 - Issues related to maternal anthropometry
		Appendix 8 - Technical notes and tables
		Bibliography
		Distributors of world bank publications

Appendix 3 - The role of the midwife

The midwife is a person who:

· By her/his training has the competence and skills to provide reproductive health care as an independent and interdependent practitioner in the maternity care team.

· By regulatory mechanisms is entitled and protected to practice in the spheres defined by the content of midwifery.

1. Provision of care of high technical competence:

· Prenatal, labor and delivery, postnatal care
· Family planning
· Newborn and infant care

2. Provision of the following essential obstetric functions:

· Repair of vaginal and cervical lacerations
· Performance and repair of episiotomy
· Vacuum extraction
· Administration of IV fluids, blood
· Emergency evacuation of uterus
· Manual removal of placenta
· Emergency treatment of severe pre-eclampsia, eclampsia
· Administration of IM and IV antibiotics
· Family planning functions: prescription of oral contraceptives, insertion of IUD and Norplant

3. Provision of social and psychological support, counselling, and education of clients, families, and communities, based on norms and values appropriate to the society.

4. Provision of leadership in matters of safe motherhood including the areas of administration, management, leadership, and research.

Source: WHO 1990a.