Managing Childbirth Emergencies

Title: Managing Childbirth Emergencies in the Community and Low tech settings  

Author:  Karen Bates and Kenda Crozier

Publisher: Palgrove, 2015

Description: 

This book is a small handbook when dealing with childbirth emergencies out in the community or in a low tech setting. This is full of relevant case studies, reflective questions and key points. This book is up to date and is a must toolkit for midwives working and dealing with these situations.

Highlights: 

The book commences as it should with Clinical Governance, risk management and the legalities. Regardless of the readers knowledge this gives the foundations and background without just paying lip service.

Home births can be controversial, standards may vary within LSA and the authors urge for clear guidance for the escalation process when there are difficulties.

Emergencies such as shoulder dystocia, post partum haemorrhage and breech are included within a chapter each. The authors leave nothing to chance and each emergency is worked through in detail and well referenced. The case studies are real and relevant and these ensure the reader thinks through each scenario. The research and referencing is up to date and relevant to each chapter.

There is also a good chapter at the end advising the care from the paramedic, this also gives the midwife background knowledge they may not be aware of which is vital for mum and baby.

Strengths and weaknesses:

This is written for midwives in the UK by British authors who are both midwifery lecturers. The contributors all have relevant and extensive knowledge. This is a well thought out text book, the chapters are well set out and this allows the reader to pick this up and go directly to the relevant chapter.

Potential Readers:

This is for all midwives, General Practitioners students, and educators who will be caring for and treating mothers and their babies born/unborn within the community and low tech settings. This text book should be a must item on the book shelf within these settings.