Birth attendant
Encyclopedia
A birth attendant, also known as “skilled birth attendant” (“SBA”), is a midwife, physician
, obstetrician, nurse, or other health care professional
who provides basic and emergency health care services to women and their newborns during pregnancy, childbirth
and the postpartum period. Birth attendants are trained to be present at ("attend") childbirth, whether the delivery takes place in a health care institution
or at home
, to recognize and respond appropriately to medical complications
, and to implement interventions to help prevent them in the first place including through prenatal care
.
, as well as nature of care delivered. Birth attendants are typically trained to perform clinical functions for basic and emergency obstetric and neonatal care, including administration of parenteral
antibiotics, oxytocics and anticonvulsants; manual removal of placenta
; removal of retained products of placenta; assisted vaginal delivery; and newborn resuscitation. Depending on the legal scope of practice
, this may also include performing cesarean sections.
A birth assistant, also known as a doula
, “birth worker”, “labor support person”, or “childbirth educator” is someone other than the above who provides emotional support and general care and advice to women and families during pregnancy and childbirth. They are unlicensed assistive personnel
who may receive some formal training, or acquire knowledge and skills through experience or apprenticeship. The birth assistant is considered to "provide continuity of care from home to hospital [or birth center], be there through changing hospital shifts and alternating physician schedules; serve as advocate, labor coach, and support partner; and... to give the parents-to-be the freedom to focus inward and increase the intimacy of the experience for both the mother and her partner as they meet the challenges and rewards of their unique birthing experience". A doula usually offers support services to the family in the weeks following the birth ("postpartum doula") and may also assist during labor and childbirth ("birth doula").
In many developing countries, a traditional birth attendant (TBA), also known as a traditional midwife
, is a person who provide basic pregnancy and birthing care and advice based primarily on experience and knowledge acquired informally through the traditions and practices of the communities where they originated. They usually have no modern health care training and are not typically subject to professional regulation.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, obstetrician, nurse, or other health care professional
Health care provider
A health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
who provides basic and emergency health care services to women and their newborns during pregnancy, childbirth
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
and the postpartum period. Birth attendants are trained to be present at ("attend") childbirth, whether the delivery takes place in a health care institution
Health care provider
A health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
or at home
Home birth
A home birth in developed countries is an attended or an unattended childbirth in a non-clinical setting, typically using natural childbirth methods, that takes place in a residence rather than in a hospital or a birth centre, and usually attended by a midwife or lay attendant with expertise in...
, to recognize and respond appropriately to medical complications
Complications of pregnancy
Complications of pregnancy are the symptoms and problems that are associated with pregnancy. There are both routine problems and serious, even potentially fatal problems. The routine problems are normal complications, and pose no significant danger to either the woman or the fetus...
, and to implement interventions to help prevent them in the first place including through prenatal care
Prenatal care
Prenatal care refers to the medical and nursing care recommended for women before and during pregnancy. The aim of good prenatal care is to detect any potential problems early, to prevent them if possible , and to direct the woman to appropriate specialists, hospitals, etc...
.
Birth attendant versus birth assistant
A distinction must be made between "birth attendant" and others who may provide support and care during pregnancy and childbirth, based on professional training and skills, practice regulationsHealthcare provider requisites
Healthcare provider requisites refer to the regulations used by countries to control the quality of individual healthcare workers practicing in their jurisdictions and to control the size of the health labour market...
, as well as nature of care delivered. Birth attendants are typically trained to perform clinical functions for basic and emergency obstetric and neonatal care, including administration of parenteral
Parenteral
Parenteral is a route of administration that involves piercing the skin or mucous membrane. Parenteral nutrition refers to providing nutrition via the veins.-Etymology:...
antibiotics, oxytocics and anticonvulsants; manual removal of placenta
Placenta
The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply. "True" placentas are a defining characteristic of eutherian or "placental" mammals, but are also found in some snakes and...
; removal of retained products of placenta; assisted vaginal delivery; and newborn resuscitation. Depending on the legal scope of practice
Scope of Practice
Scope of Practice is a terminology used by national and state/provincial licensing boards for various professions that defines the procedures, actions, and processes that are permitted for the licensed individual. The scope of practice is limited to that which the law allows for specific education...
, this may also include performing cesarean sections.
A birth assistant, also known as a doula
Doula
A Doula is someone who provides non-medical support to women and their families during labour and childbirth, and also the postpartum period. The term can also be used to describe other supportive roles for other life events such as abortion, death and more....
, “birth worker”, “labor support person”, or “childbirth educator” is someone other than the above who provides emotional support and general care and advice to women and families during pregnancy and childbirth. They are unlicensed assistive personnel
Unlicensed assistive personnel
Unlicensed assistive personnel is an umbrella term to describe a job class of paraprofessionals who assist individuals with physical disabilities, mental impairments, and other health care needs with their activities of daily living and provide bedside care — including basic nursing...
who may receive some formal training, or acquire knowledge and skills through experience or apprenticeship. The birth assistant is considered to "provide continuity of care from home to hospital [or birth center], be there through changing hospital shifts and alternating physician schedules; serve as advocate, labor coach, and support partner; and... to give the parents-to-be the freedom to focus inward and increase the intimacy of the experience for both the mother and her partner as they meet the challenges and rewards of their unique birthing experience". A doula usually offers support services to the family in the weeks following the birth ("postpartum doula") and may also assist during labor and childbirth ("birth doula").
In many developing countries, a traditional birth attendant (TBA), also known as a traditional midwife
Traditional birth attendant
A traditional birth attendant , also known as a traditional midwife, community midwife or lay midwife, is a pregnancy and childbirth care provider...
, is a person who provide basic pregnancy and birthing care and advice based primarily on experience and knowledge acquired informally through the traditions and practices of the communities where they originated. They usually have no modern health care training and are not typically subject to professional regulation.
See also
- Health care providerHealth care providerA health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
s - Health workforce
- Maternal healthMaternal healthMaternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. It encompasses the health care dimensions of family planning, preconception, prenatal, and postnatal care in order to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.Preconception care can include...
- Reproductive healthReproductive healthWithin the framework of the World Health Organization's definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, reproductive health, or sexual health/hygiene, addresses the reproductive processes, functions and system...