Category Archives: Research

No advantages to episiotomies

Here’s a newsflash: In a sytematic review of the literature in this month’s JAMA, researchers have recently found that routine episiotomy offers no benefit to women, and may in fact do more harm than good. Reuters picked up the article here. I have never understood routine episiotomy, and in my work as a nurse, every [...]

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Emotional Support during labor CAN’T be overlooked

Full citation: Kennell, J., Klaus, M., McGrath, S., Robertson, S., & Hinkley, C. (1991). Continuous Emotional Support During Labor in a US Hospital. JAMA, 265(17), 2197-2201. Attention all doulas out there: this is something you really need to read. It’s one of my favorite studies of all time, actually. I discovered it in Nursing School [...]

Also posted in Journal Articles, Labor and Birth, Labor Support | Leave a comment