14th January 2012
The Birthplace study by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit was published late last year – this study of nearly 80,000 births in England between 2008 and 2010 brings fresh evidence to the question of where to give birth. Births at home, in stand-alone birth centres, in birth centres alongside labour wards, and in hospital labour wards are compared in terms of safety for babies and mothers.

6th December 2011
Needle-phobes have something to celebrate, and soon mums-to-be may not need a blood test to screen for anaemia. An Indian company is in clinical trials with its latest invention: a needle-free tool to diagnose anaemia. Instead of a blood test, the tool measures the wavelength of haemoglobin through a person’s fingertip – like using a pulse oximeter.

26 March 2011
Midwives joined hundreds of thousands of others in central London today to protest deep cuts to public services in the March for the Alternative. The campaign continues.

26 September 2010
Midwives in the East of England and South Central areas attend more births per year than their colleagues elsewhere in the country. The ratio is over one third higher than recommended. Read more

1 July 2010
The General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives has criticised as flawed a study purporting to show that home birth is less safe than hospital birth. Read more on pg. 12-13 of the RCM journal.