Japan Academy of Midwifery: 2012 evidence-based guidelines for midwifery care during childbirth

Abstract

The Japan Academy of Midwifery has developed the Evidence-Based Care During Childbirth Guideline for Midwives (2012 edition) containing care policies for healthy low risk women and newborns. In order to disseminate the guideline, contents of the guideline are introduced for midwives through the current paper. A total of twenty nine clinical questions were included in the guideline. For each clinical question, evidence statement, its explanations and references were prepared. Evidence-based and women-centered care would be promoted if midwives adopt care policy in the guideline at hospitals, clinics and independent midwives.

A cross-sectional survey of policies guiding second stage labor in urban Japanese hospitals, clinics and midwifery birth centers

“…All questions included in the questionnaire were derived from the Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] regarding routine obstetric care policies and practices for low-risk pregnancies. Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] was constructed from clinical questions about obstetric care from the first stage of labor to the early postpartum period, and the questions from the questionnaire relating to the clinical questions in Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] were included. Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] was structured based on the evidence and interpretation of each clinical question.…”

“…Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] was constructed from clinical questions about obstetric care from the first stage of labor to the early postpartum period, and the questions from the questionnaire relating to the clinical questions in Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] were included. Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] was structured based on the evidence and interpretation of each clinical question. Table 1 displays the evidence and interpretation of each clinical question of the Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ].…”

“…Therefore the Japan Academy of Midwifery developed the ‘2012 Evidence-based Guidelines for Midwifery Care during Childbirth (Guidelines for Midwives)’ [ 13 ] for low-risk births in 2012. Although the target audience for the Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] was midwives, other medical personnel, concerned for the care of women, were also included.…”

“…Therefore the Japan Academy of Midwifery developed the ‘2012 Evidence-based Guidelines for Midwifery Care during Childbirth (Guidelines for Midwives)’ [ 13 ] for low-risk births in 2012. Although the target audience for the Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] was midwives, other medical personnel, concerned for the care of women, were also included. The contents of the Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] contain evidence-based care policies, which are necessary for clinical practice based on research derived from the clinical expertise of midwives.…”

“…Although the target audience for the Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] was midwives, other medical personnel, concerned for the care of women, were also included. The contents of the Guidelines for Midwives [ 13 ] contain evidence-based care policies, which are necessary for clinical practice based on research derived from the clinical expertise of midwives. The data were drawn from primary and secondary documents identified from three databases: Cochrane Library through October 2012, and PubMed, Ichushi-Web through October 2008, plus three Guidelines: ‘Intrapartum Care: Care of Healthy Women and their Babies during Childbirth [ 4 ]’ from England; Japanese ‘Guidelines for Obstetrical Practice in Japan 2011 edition [ 2 ]’ and ‘Evidence-based Guidelines for Comfortable Pregnancy and Childbirth [ 5 ]’.…”