Normal childbirth and evidence based practice

Summary 

This paper was presented at a Health Conference in March 2007, celebrating the 150th birthday of the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne. It discusses the definition of “normal childbirth”, and the pros and cons of three medical technologies^a: caesarean section, epidural analgesia during labour and routine ultrasound screening during pregnancy, and whether clinical practices, in Australia and Sweden (author is Swedish), in relation to these methods are evidence based. It also discusses the impact of non-scientific reasons, such as anxiety, on clinical decision making.

Keywords: Evidence-based practice, Childbirth, Pregnancy, Caesarean section, Epidural pain relief, Ultrasound screening

• a Definition: The word “medical technology” is used as a general concept including medical and diagnostic devices, drugs and other therapies.