Impact of midwife-managed care in the postnatal period: An exploration of psychosocial outcomes

Abstract

The psychosocial outcomes of a new programme of midwife-managed (MDU) care in the postnatal period were compared with traditional postnatal care by means of a randomized controlled trial. The trial recruited 1299 women with normal healthy pregnancies (consent rate 82%). A total of 648 women were randomly assigned to MDU care and 651 women to traditional care. A self-report questionnaire (response 68%) examined women's ratings of the structure of postnatal care, preparation for parenthood, postnatal depression and infant feeding. Women in the MDU rated their care more highly in relation to: structure of care; preparation for parenthood; support and advice with infant feeding, and they were less likely to be rated as depressed on the basis of their responses to Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). These findings suggest that midwife-managed care has the potential to confer benefit in relation to a number of psychosocial aspects of postnatal care.