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Humanized birth in high-risk pregnancy: barriers and facilitating factors

18 December 2022

The medical model of childbirth assumes that a pregnancy can always develop into a risky procedure. In order to consider humanised delivery in high-risk pregnancies, an important step is to be aware of professionals' preconceptions about humanised delivery in such a situation. The aim of this article is to identify professionals' perceptions of potential barriers and facilitators to implementing humanised care in high-risk pregnancies. Twenty-one midwives, obstetricians and health professionals from clinical and academic disciplines were interviewed in nine different locations in Japan. Obstacles encountered in the provision of humanised delivery in high-risk pregnancies include factors such as the pressure to be responsible for maternal and fetal safety, the lack of active involvement of women in the decision-making process and the heavy burden of responsibility placed on the shoulders of the doctor, potential legal issues and, finally, the lack of authority of the midwife in the care of high-risk pregnancies. Factors that facilitate humanised childbirth in high-risk cases include: sharing decision-making and other various responsibilities between doctors and women; being caring; stress management; and the fact that the evolution of better relationships and better communication between health professional and patient will lead to a stress-free environment for both. Humanised childbirth in high-risk pregnancies is something that goes beyond just curing women of their illnesses. It can be seen as an expression of care and ongoing support that positively perpetuates the doctor-patient relationship. So far, it has not been described as a practical guideline due to its ever-changing complexity.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Roksana-Behruzi-2/publication/259385899_Perception_of_Humanization_of_Birth_in_a_Highly_Specializ ed_Hospital_Lets_Think_Differently/links/5bdbb00da6fdcc3a8db78593/Perception-of-Humanization-of-Birth-in-a-Highly-Specialized-Hospital-Lets-Think-Differently.pdf