The caesarean section rate in China remains high, which is a very serious problem. Michel Odent compares Sweden to China and Brazil. He said that China\’s caesarean section rate is very close to Brazil\’s, close to 40%, while in Sweden, which has only 6 million people and more than 6,000 midwives, the caesarean section rate is only 10%. Therefore, if China wants to reduce the caesarean section rate, in addition to changing people\’s attitudes, it must also increase the number of midwives and control the caesarean section rate in small hospitals to less than 10% and the caesarean section rate in large hospitals to less than 15%.
Jan Tritten, president of the International Federation of Midwives, said manual interventions such as enemas, shaving and routine rehydration are ineffective or even harmful and should be reduced as much as possible. She also emphasized that the use of electronic fetal monitoring during delivery is not conducive to the safety and health of both mother and baby. In short, the interference of artificial medical technology should be minimized.
Promote humane childbirth
During the meeting, experts from various countries put forward the concept of \”humanized delivery\”. This is a major trend in the current international medical community. The so-called humanized delivery is to promote family delivery, free position delivery and natural delivery. Jan Tritten details this: Childbirth is part of family life, and it is up to the family to deal with it. This method of home delivery is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. During the delivery process, the mother can choose her own delivery position. She can squat and stand, but cannot lie down. She can also eat, drink and listen to music. Ready to eat and drink after delivery, no intravenous medication required. Jan Tritten emphasized that what mothers need is the warmth of family and the care and love of relatives. Rather than over-medicalizing it, we should domesticate, naturalize, and humanize it.
In this regard, Michel Audent also specifically mentioned water birth, which he believed was the most scientific and advanced birth method in the world. In Europe, water birth is quite common, and almost every hospital provides swimming pools for women who choose to give birth in the water.
Humanized delivery services with Guangzhou characteristics
Guangzhou is the first city in China to establish an intensive care unit
Municipal Maternal Health Center. It is reported that Guangzhou\’s perinatal health care technology is now close to the international level, and citizens\’ awareness of perinatal health care is getting stronger and stronger.
Guangzhou hospital delivery work is developing in the direction of humanized services. However, due to restrictions on transportation, air pollution, household cleaning, and the number of midwives, hospitals currently do not encourage home births. Instead, a humanized distribution service with Guangzhou characteristics has been formed based on the actual situation. The delivery rooms in each hospital are arranged like a family. The midwifery in the hospital implements the midwife responsibility system and provides one-to-one personal service. It also provides a place where women can walk freely, introduces childbirth knowledge, introduces women to medical staff, and even hospital cleaners, etc., so that they can become familiar with the surrounding environment and people, and relieve the tension caused by an unfamiliar environment.
For foreign expertsOpposing the use of electronic fetal monitoring, Huang Yanyi, deputy director of Guangzhou Second People\’s Hospital, holds a different view. She believes that because my country\’s current level of medical equipment cannot eliminate possible risks before delivery, in order to ensure the safety of mothers and babies, the use of electronic fetal monitors is still advocated during delivery.