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Improving the Quality of Maternity Care

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2025 | Viewed by 495

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Health Behavior and Biological Sciences Department, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Interests: maternal health; midwifery education; respectful maternity care; sexual health; group antenatal care
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

While there have been improvements in maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity globally over the past two decades, these improvements have not been universal. Some regions have seen little to no progress, and in countries like the United States, maternal mortality has even increased [1]. Maternity care must incorporate evidence-based interventions that respect women’s preferences. Central to all maternity care is the provision of respectful care, which the World Health Organization defines as including freedom from abuse and violence, informed consent, privacy, effective communication and shared decision-making, dignity, respect, safety, and justice [2]. To successfully reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, access to quality care is essential at every stage of the childbearing process. This includes comprehensive reproductive health services, antenatal care, intrapartum care, and postnatal care. Improving maternal and newborn outcomes in a way that is inclusive and reduces disparities is achievable, but it requires sustained and coordinated efforts from both providers and policymakers.

  1. UNFPA, UNICEF, Organization WH, Group WB, Division the UNP. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 2000 to 2017|UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund. WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division. Published online 2019:104.
  2. World Health Organization. Intrapartum Care for a Positive Childbirth Experience WHO Recommendations.; 2018. Accessed August 1, 2020. http://apps.who.int/bookorders.

Dr. Ruth E. Zielinski
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • pregnancy
  • childbirth
  • postpartum
  • maternal health
  • perinatal outcomes
  • respectful maternity care
  • evidence based maternity care
  • obstetric care
  • midwifery care

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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17 pages, 1542 KiB  
Article
Feasibility Study for a Randomized Controlled Trial of Aromatherapy Footbath for Stimulating Onset of Labor in Term Pregnant Women
by Yuriko Tadokoro and Kaori Takahata
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(6), 950; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22060950 - 17 Jun 2025
Viewed by 8
Abstract
We evaluated the feasibility of a new research methodology designed for conducting a future, large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT). This future RCT is aimed at evaluating the effects of repeated aromatherapy footbaths on stimulating the onset of labor. Herein, we conducted a pilot [...] Read more.
We evaluated the feasibility of a new research methodology designed for conducting a future, large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT). This future RCT is aimed at evaluating the effects of repeated aromatherapy footbaths on stimulating the onset of labor. Herein, we conducted a pilot RCT with two arms among low-risk pregnant women at or beyond 39 weeks of gestation before labor onset. These two arms consisted of a treatment group performing aromatherapy footbaths twice a day (n = 7) and a usual care group (n = 8). This study was prospectively registered in the Clinical Trials Registry of the University Hospital Medical Information Network in Japan (UMIN000037398). Feasibility was assessed across the domains of acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality, process, resources, and management using questionnaires, researcher records, and semi-structured interviews with the treatment group and midwives at the setting facility. The new research methodology was found to be feasible, although challenges were identified in the process and implementation. For process, the research participation rate was 55.5%. For implementation, the adherence rate among the multiparous participants in the treatment group ranged from 50% to 94%. An imbalance between both groups was found. Areas that need careful planning and methodological improvements include random allocation, treatment method, and participation criteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improving the Quality of Maternity Care)
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