Science & Sensibility

http://flic.kr/p/4v3Zeh

Last April, the ABIM Foundation, with Consumer Reports and other partners, drew national attention to overuse of ineffective and harmful practices across the health care system with their Choosing Wisely campaign. As part of the campaign, professional medical societies identified practices within their own specialties that patients should avoid or question carefully. Today, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) have joined the campaign, drawing national attention to the overuse and misuse of induction of labor. ACOG and AAFP are telling women and their maternity care providers:

• Don’t schedule elective, non-medically indicated inductions of labor or cesarean deliveries before 39 weeks 0 days gestational age.

• Don’t schedule elective, non-medically indicated inductions of labor between 39 weeks 0 days and 41 weeks 0 days unless the cervix is deemed favorable. 

(“Favorable” means the cervix is already thinned out and beginning to dilate, and the baby is settling into the pelvis. Another word for this is “ripe,” and doctors and midwives use a tool called the Bishop Score to give an objective measurement of ripeness. Although ACOG and AAFP do not define “favorable,” studies show cesarean risk is elevated with a Bishop Score of 8 or lower in a woman having her first birth and 6 or lower in women who have already given birth vaginally.)  

Much work has already been done to spread the first message. Although ACOG has long advised against early elective deliveries, a confluence of quality improvement programs and public awareness campaigns have made it increasingly difficult for providers to perform non-medically indicated inductions or c-sections before 39 weeks.

But as the public and the health care community have accepted the “39 weeks” directive, concern about unintended consequences has grown. Christine Morton, a researcher at the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative and regular contributor to Science & Sensibility, sums up concerns shared by many, including Childbirth Connection:

It is possible that this measure may sensitize stakeholders to the wrong issue: timing of birth rather than the fact that it is generally best when labor begins on its own.  Additionally, is it possible that 39 weeks could become the new “ideal” gestational age, because it will be assumed that 39 completed weeks is the best time to be born?

The second Choosing Wisely statement aims to mitigate these unintended consequences. Inducing with an unripe cervix significantly increases the chance of a c-section and its many associated harms. Women considering induction for a non-medical reason deserve to know about these excess risks, and should question whether it is worth any non-medical benefits of elective delivery they perceive or expect. Lamaze International has spoken to the importance of letting labor begin on its own, as it is the first topic in the Six Healthy Birth Practices.

But will the new message lead women and care providers to think that delivery is indicated once a woman’s cervix is ripe? Through the Choosing Wisely campaign ACOG and AAFP have made powerful statements acknowledging that scheduled delivery is unwise if the baby or the woman might not be ready for birth. Although gestational age and the Bishop score are tools to estimate readiness for birth, the best indicator of readiness is still the spontaneous onset of labor at term, the culmination of an intricate interplay of hormonal signals between the fetus and the woman. Anytime we intervene with the timing of birth we have to weigh the potential benefits and harms of overriding that process in the context of the fully informed preferences and values of women.

This summer, our collaboration with the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation will culminate in the release of our first three Smart Decision Guides. These evidence-based, interactive decision support tools will help women learn the possible benefits and harms of scheduled delivery versus waiting for labor to start on its own and to weigh these based on what is most important to them. These tools help women choose wisely – to identify when an option is not appropriate or safe for them, and to thoughtfully weigh options when there are both pros and cons to consider.

Interested in learning more about shared decision making in maternity care? Sign up for a free webinar on March 13 sponsored by the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation to hear more about what clinicians, consumers, employers, and others thinking about the importance of maternity care shared decision making.

Amy Romano ACOG, Childbirth Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Guest Posts, Healthcare Reform, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, informed Consent, Maternal Quality Improvement, Medical Interventions, Practice Guidelines, Pre-term Birth, Webinars AAFP, ABIM Foundation, ACOG, Amy Romano, avoiding labor induction, Childbirth Connection, Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making, induction, informed Consent, labor induction, Webinars

As I wrote about in my January 3rd, 2012 post on the top 10 reasons to join Lamaze International, one of the great benefits of being a Lamaze member is complete access to the Cochrane Collaboration.  The Cochrane Collaboration is an international organization whose purpose is to make available information on the effects of healthcare interventions.  Reports in the form of Cochrane Reviews are current, accurate and made available electronically on the internet and by DVD, and updated monthly.  Systematic reviews are conducted and published on a wide variety of healthcare interventions so that people can make informed decisions. This is stored in the Cochrane Library.

Archie Cochrane, photo credit: Cardiff University. Library, Cochrane Archive, University. Hospital Llandough

The Cochrane Collaboration was founded by Archie Cochrane, who was a British medical researcher.  Mr. Cochrane is best known for his article Effectiveness and Efficiency: Random Reflections on Health Services written in 1972.  

The creation of a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCT’s) of care during pregnancy and childbirth is “a real milestone in the history of randomised trials and in the evaluation of care.” Professor Archibald Leman Cochrane, CBE FRCP FFCM, (1909 – 1988)

The Cochrane Collaboration is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, 2013 and will be sharing a series of 24 short videos over the course of the anniversary year, focusing on the ideas, achievements and people that have been part of the history of this international and well-respected organization.  I am sharing the first in this series, so you can learn a bit more about how this organization came to be recognized as the gold standard in evidence-based health care.

The United States Cochrane Center has created and made available free of charge, an online tutorial, “Understanding Evidence-based Healthcare: A Foundation for Action, that can help you to learn how to best navigate and understand the resources contained in the Cochrane Library.

Lamaze International’s Healthy Birth Practice Tools is completely based on evidence based information and was created so that consumers could understand and advocate for the best care for themselves and their babies.  Lamaze recognizes the importance of educators and others having access to up to date information and therefore is pleased to offer access to the Cochrane Library as a member benefit.   To access the Cochrane Library as a Lamaze member, first login to Lamaze International’s Member Center and then follow the drop down box to the Cochrane Library. You will be redirected to the library, with full access.

I rely on and use this member benefit constantly, and appreciate it being made available to me by Lamaze.  Won’t you share in the comments section how you use the Cochrane Library?  How has it helped you?  Do you find what you need?  Do you share information and studies with your students, clients and patients?  Let us know, please.

References 

Cochrane AL. Effectiveness and Efficiency. Random Reflections on Health Services. London: Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust, 1972. (Reprinted in 1989 in association with the BMJ, Reprinted in 1999 for Nuffield Trust by the Royal Society of Medicine Press, London (ISBN 1-85315-394-X)

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Continuing Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, informed Consent, Lamaze International, Maternal Quality Improvement, Maternity Care, Medical Interventions, New Research, Practice Guidelines, Research, Systematic Review Childbirth Education, Cochrane Collaboration, Evidence Based Medicine, Healthy Birth Practices, interventions, Lamaze International, maternity care systems, research, Sharon Muza, Systematic Review

I had waited excitedly for the release of Henci Goer and Amy Romano’s new book for a long time and was delighted to receive it after it was published in May 2012. Optimal Care in Childbirth: The Case for a Physiologic Approach was a robust, updated successor to Henci’s previous book; Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities which was a well used source on my office bookshelf.

Both authors have a long history with Lamaze International. Prior to her current position with Childbirth Connection, directing the Transforming Maternity Care Partnership, Amy launched Science & Sensibility, and provided a keen and critical eye when analyzing, reviewing and sharing research items with readers. Henci Goer has been the long time resident expert on the “Ask Henci” forum hosted by Lamaze International, providing and sharing resources on a wide variety of pregnancy and childbirth topics with consumers and professionals alike, as well as a regular contributor to this blog. Please read the full bios of Amy and Henci on their website, where you can find complete information on their work, background and other works that they have authored.

As the title clearly states, this book is about childbirth, and as such, you will not find information on pregnancy, breastfeeding or newborn topics. Nor is this the type of text that childbirth educators would hand out in class for consumers to use. This book is heavy with sources, study outcomes and insights into current obstetric practices. But, as a guide to best practice, the book becomes a great repository of information that allows consumers and professionals alike to learn and make decisions about care that can help keep birth as physiological as possible. The book focuses on what factors affect, both positively and negatively, birth, so that an optimal outcome can occur.

The authors define optimal outcomes as “the highest probability of spontaneous birth of a healthy baby to a healthy mother, who feels pleased with herself and her caregivers, ready for the challenges of motherhood, attached to her baby, and goes on to breastfeed successfully.”

The chapters are well organized, with the topic of cesareans starting things off. Cesarean rates have never been higher, and many of the topics that Goer and Romano discuss later in the book often have the unintended consequence of contributing to the skyrocketing cesarean rates in this country. I think it is an important topic and one that receives a thorough evaluation by the authors.

Each chapter starts off with “contradicting” quotes from researchers working in the field of obstetrics, and I have to say, that reading these at the beginning of each chapter was something I looked forward to, a nice added bonus and really made me pause and consider the different viewpoints and how they influence practice today. The lead in for chapter 12 on epidurals and spinals contains one of my favorites:

“There is no other circumstance in which it is considered acceptable for a person to experience untreated severe pain, amenable to safe interventions, while under a physician’s care.” ACOG 2006

“Epidural anaesthesia remains one of childbirth’s best exemplars of iatrogenesis. It is a wonderful intervention for managing labour complications, especially as an alternative to general anaesthetic for caesarean sections, but has significant side effects that constantly need weighing alongside benefits. Though its rising popularity almost grants it the status of normative practice on some [U.K.] maternity unites, it remains incompatable with physiological labour.” Walsh 2007

Each chapter begins with a wonderful perspective on each topic, sharing history and cultural practices so the reader can understand how standard protocols found in most birthing facilities have come to be, even when not backed up by research. I think it is critical to include this information, for if there is to be a shift to more evidence based care in the field of obstetrics, we need to be aware and acknowledge that some practices may have evolved for legal, cultural, social or policy reasons having nothing to do with sound research.

The authors ask and answer the very questions that I find myself asking out loud, helping the reader to understand why we continually observe care that is known to not improve outcomes. For example, when discussing electronic fetal monitoring, the question “Why does use of continuous EFM persist?” in normal low risk labors is asked (and thoroughly answered) with supporting references for further information.

Each chapter contains a brief summary of action steps that women can take to receive optimal care, along with the supporting research that backs up these steps. These lists are great talking points both for educators to integrate in their classrooms, but also for consumers to discuss with their health care providers and understand why their care might deviate from that supported by research.

The conclusion of each chapter has what the authors call a “mini-review” and neatly summarizes the important topic statements and provides (and references) outcomes of studies so that the reader can evaluate for himself or herself the validity of the research. Though these sections are called reviews, I found them to be a very helpful component of the book, when looking for solid sources.

At the end of each chapter, all of the sources referenced in that chapter are listed.

Henci Goer

I was very appreciative throughout the book, for the definitions that the authors provided when discussing a topic. It is important (and helpful) to know how terms are defined, so that the reader can best understand the discussion. For example, in one of the cesarean chapters, one can find a list of “rate” terms, so when “primaparous cesarean rate” is discussed, this term has already been explained.

Several places throughout the book, in various callout boxes, Goer and Romano discussed the selective language that health care providers use when talking about childbirth and presenting information to families. I found these small detours fascinating, as I am very interested in the language that HCPs use to discuss risk, procedures and events with their patients.

The last chapters of the book take a look at choice of birth location, what the ideal maternity care system might include and includes information on maternal mental health. The appendices speak to common “less than optimal” situations, such as the OP fetus in labor, meconium staining and other circumstances that frequently cause concern and labor interventions. Again, the authors include information on optimal care in these cases that can help.

It is clear from some of the phrasing, chapter titles and choice of words in some of the discussions, that the authors have a bias towards a childbirth process that unfolds in a natural and physiological manner. This language, while potentially off-putting to those who firmly believe in the medical model, is effective in causing the reader to consider standard practices that make no logical “sense”, and certainly, references are provided for further research should the reader wish to investigate further.

I must say that I very much enjoyed this book, and I will find it very useful in my doula and Lamaze childbirth education practice. It is the type of book that one thumbs through frequently, when asked a question by a student or client, or when helping a client to prepare to speak to their health care provider about best practices and birth preferences. I think that any birth professional would do well to have this book on their shelf and be able to refer to it when necessary. This book represents a significant amount of research and I find great comfort in knowing that all the resources and references supporting the statements made in the book are available for me to source myself.

Amy Romano

I look forward to the release of the e-book version of this title, expected this fall, for the Kindle, iPad and other tablets, so that I could have easy access from wherever I am. I would be delighted if the references and sources could be routinely updated as new research is released and published, so that I can use this guide for many years to come, confident that it reflects the newest and most valid research. I know that is a formidable task, but I would gladly pay a small subscription fee to have an updated version as often as necessary.

This book is available for purchase from both Amazon.com and the Optimal Care in Childbirth website. The book is on the expensive side, costing approximately $50.00, but very well may become the go-to source for evidenced based research on your office shelf, so worth the investment. If you choose to purchase from the book’s site, there are bulk and wholesale discounts available.  For purchases made from the book’s website, the authors are providing a 15% discount for our Science & Sensibility blog readers and conference attendees. Enter code UXJXI52F at checkout to receive the discount.

I hope that you are planning to attend the upcoming Lamaze International Innovative Learning Forum next week, where both Amy Romano and Henci Goer have been invited to speak. You will have an opportunity to meet these authors, ask them questions, purchase this book and hear their powerful presentations. As a General Session Speaker, Amy’s session will be available as part of the “Virtual Conference” option for those unable to attend the conference in person.

Have you read Optimal Care in Childbirth?  Are you using it already in your practice?  Please share your thoughts and comments in our comment section here on the blog.  I look forward to hearing your views. – SM

References

ACOG committee opinion. No. 339: Analgesia and cesarean delivery rates. Obstet Gynecol 206;107(6):1487-8.

Walsh D. Evidenced Based Care for Normal Labor and Birth. London: Routledge; 2007.

Sharon Muza Book Reviews, Cesarean Birth, Childbirth Education, Epidural Analgesia, Fetal Monitoring, Healthcare Reform, informed Consent, Lamaze 2012 Annual Conference, Maternal Mental Health, Medical Interventions, New Research, Pain Management, Practice Guidelines, Research, Systematic Review, Transforming Maternity Care Amy Romano, Ask Henci, book review, Henci Goer, Lamaze 2012 Annual Conference, Lamaze Innovative Learning Forum, Lamaze International, Optimal Care in Childbirth, Research about pregnancy and birth, Sharon Muza

Lamaze International recognizes World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month with a press release and comments by Lamaze International President Michele Deck, in support of breastfeeding and recognition that barriers still exist that support continued breastfeeding of newborns,  infants and beyond.

77% of new mothers initiate breastfeeding at birth and there has been increases in breastfeeding rates at six months and twelve months, according to the just released “Breastfeeding Report Card – United States 2012,” published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Michele Deck explains the significant role childbirth educators have in helping new mothers prepare for and find support during their breastfeeding relationship with their child;

“While breastfeeding is natural, it doesn’t always come naturally,” said Deck. “Many moms have difficulties establishing breastfeeding and some of this may be due to birth practices that aren’t the best for moms and babies. Pregnant women can help to push for the best birth and breastfeeding experiences by using childbirth education to understand the most common barriers and how to navigate them.”

“Scientific research shows breastfeeding helps ensure babies are well nourished, protected against disease, and given the best chance to develop optimally. What women need most often is good information and support to get breastfeeding off to a good start, and to help them reach their breastfeeding goals.”

Valuable resources and information for expecting parents, like Lamaze’s Push for Your Baby, are aimed at giving expecting parents the tools to push for the best care practices for moms and babies, including those that support breastfeeding education and awareness.

Lamaze calls out the following top five breastfeeding barriers within the first 24 hours of birth to help expecting moms prepare for the best breastfeeding experience:

1. Unnecessary birth interventions
2. Separating mom and baby
3. Use of pacifiers or other artificial nipples before breastfeeding is well established
4. Supplementing breastmilk with formula
5. Lack of postpartum breastfeeding support

Sharon Muza Babies, Breastfeeding, Childbirth Education, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, Infant Attachment, Newborns, Parenting an Infant, Practice Guidelines, Push for Your Baby, Research, Social Media breastfeeding, breastfeeding statistics, breastfeeding support, Healthy Birth Practices, Lamaze International, Michele Deck, newborns, press release

Creative Commons photo by Raphael Goetter

As the mother of two children, both who breastfed well into toddlerhood, and as a childbirth professional, I have spent a lot of time over the years 1) learning how to breastfeed or breastfeeding my children and 2) facilitating “how to breastfeed” conversations with pregnant women and their partners in my Lamaze classes, working as a birth doula with new mothers immediately after birth and in the first postpartum days at home with their newborn as well as regularly training new birth doulas and childbirth educators on how to prepare and work with their clients and students in the early days of the breastfeeding relationship.

I frequently find that new mothers often consider breastfeeding the next potential challenge after they have birthed, and getting it “right” includes avoiding pain, developing a good milk supply and making sure that their baby is getting all the nutrition they need in the vulnerable first days when things are so new and unfamiliar.  Breastfeeding challenges can increase the rockiness of an already emotionally and physically fragile time for the mother-baby dyad.

I have watched teaching methods, techniques and vocabulary change as more is learned about the newborn, their instinctive behaviors and the innate wisdom of the mothers of these new little ones.  Most of us have seen the widely viewed “Breast Crawl” video put out by UNICEF, WHO and WABA, and ooh-ed and ah-ed at the wisdom of the just born baby who self-latches when placed on its mother’s chest.   Suzanne Colson, Rebecca Glover, Christina Smillie and others have shared resources and information that has helped mothers and the professionals that support them get breastfeeding off to the best start possible, by introducing concepts such as baby led and laid back breastfeeding.

It was with great interest that I read Facilitating Autonomous Infant Hand Use During Breastfeeding and learned the important role the newborn’s hands play in helping to shape the breast, areola and nipple to facilitate breastfeeding.  I have always encouraged mothers to undress their newborn to allow for skin to skin when nursing, and sighed when I saw trained professionals encourage mothers to nurse a swaddled newborn.  But, I have to admit, I was guilty of encouraging mothers to “tuck” their baby’s hands out of the way when getting the baby to latch on, concerned that the baby’s hands would prevent a good latch as the baby seemed to want to suck on both the breast and their hand at the same time.

 In the past, the baby’s hand movements while at the breast where considered “uncoordinated,” “purposeless” and “random,” and were thought to interfere with the coordination of the breastfeeding process.  Current research shows that not to be the case at all.

Catherine Watson Genna, BS, IBCLC, RLC and Diklah Barak, BOT, the authors of Facilitating Autonomous Infant Hand Use During Breastfeeding share that babies that hug the breast with their hands are helping to stabilize their neck and shoulder girdle, by pulling together the shoulder blades. Hand movements, by the infant on the breast, increase maternal oxytocin.  It also causes the nipple tissue to become erect, which facilitates latch.  Babies are best able to use their hands “against gravity”, lifting them up, when their hands are in their field of vision.  The hands are used along with the lips and tongue to draw the nipple into the mouth, a behavior that disappears around 3-4 months of age.

The authors observed that infants use their hands to push and pull the breast to shape the breast and provide easier access to the nipple.  Newborns and young infants also use their hands to push the breast away, possibly to get a better visual sense of the location of the nipple.  Genna and Barak also state that an infant may feel the nipple with their hand, and use the hand as a guide to bring their mouth to the nipple.

 Wonderful black and white pictures accompany this article, and useful video clips are included for great visuals of the behaviors described by the authors.  The authors provide information on how to facilitate infant hand use during the breastfeeding session, including step-by-step instructions that can be shared with expectant and new mothers when you are teaching.

 Teaching new mothers that their newborn’s hands are a tool that the baby uses to find and latch on to the nipple, rather than something to be restrained and held out of the way, can help new mothers to appreciate the innate abilities of their newborn to self-latch and breastfeed successfully.  The materials in this article can be incorporated in the curriculum you cover when you discuss breastfeeding, and increase confidence and success for the new mother and encourage the breastfeeding relationship to have the best start possible.

 Please take a few minutes to follow the link and read the article, view the pictures and videos and let me know how you envision using this information in future classes?  Have you changed how you teach breastfeeding as new concepts and information have become available?  Share your tips and success stories with us, so that we all can become more skilled at providing new parents with effective teaching practices that support the breastfeeding relationship.  I look forward to hearing from you.

 Sources

Genna, C.W. & Barak, D.  Facilitating autonomous infant hand use during breastfeeding.  Clin Lact 2010; 1(1):15-20.

http://www.biologicalnurturing.com/

http://breastcrawl.org/index.shtml

http://www.breastfeedingresources.com/

http://www.rebeccaglover.com.au/

Sharon Muza Babies, Breastfeeding, Continuing Education, Doula Care, Evidence Based Medicine, Healthy Birth Practices, Infant Attachment, New Research, Newborns, Parenting an Infant, Practice Guidelines, Research Barak, breastfeeding, breastfeeding class topics, childbirth education teaching strategies, Colson, first weeks of breastfeeding, Genna, glover, how to breastfeeding, IBCLC, Lamaze Classes, newborns, postpartum, Smillie, teaching community breastfeeding classes, WHO breastfeeding recommendations