TY - JOUR
T1 - Establishing the safety of waterbirth for mothers and babies
T2 - A cohort study with nested qualitative component: The protocol for the POOL study
AU - Milton, Rebecca
AU - Sanders, Julia
AU - Barlow, Christian
AU - Brocklehurst, Peter
AU - Cannings-John, Rebecca
AU - Channon, Sue
AU - Gale, Christopher
AU - Holmes, Abigail
AU - Hunter, Billie
AU - Paranjothy, Shantini
AU - Lugg-Widger, Fiona V.
AU - Milosevic, Sarah
AU - Morantz, Leah
AU - Plachcinski, Rachel
AU - Nolan, Mary
AU - Robling, Michael
N1 - Acknowledgments
The Centre for Trials Research is funded by Health and Care Research Wales and Cancer Research UK.
Funding Information:
Funding This work was supported by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (project number 16/149/01).
PY - 2021/1/8
Y1 - 2021/1/8
N2 - Introduction Approximately 60 000 (9/100) infants are born into water annually in the UK and this is likely to increase. Case reports identified infants with water inhalation or sepsis following birth in water and there is a concern that women giving birth in water may sustain more complex perineal trauma. There have not been studies large enough to show whether waterbirth increases these poor outcomes. The POOL Study (ISRCTN13315580) plans to answer the question about the safety of waterbirths among women who are classified appropriate for midwifery-led intrapartum care. Methods and analysis A cohort study with a nested qualitative component. Objectives will be answered using retrospective and prospective data captured in electronic National Health Service (NHS) maternity and neonatal systems. The qualitative component aims to explore factors influencing pool use and waterbirth; data will be gathered via discussion groups, interviews and case studies of maternity units. Ethics and dissemination The protocol has been approved by NHS Wales Research Ethics Committee (18/WA/0291) the transfer of identifiable data has been approved by Health Research Authority Confidentiality Advisory Group (18CAG0153). Study findings and innovative methodology will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conferences and events. Results will be of interest to the general public, clinical and policy stakeholders in the UK and will be disseminated accordingly.
AB - Introduction Approximately 60 000 (9/100) infants are born into water annually in the UK and this is likely to increase. Case reports identified infants with water inhalation or sepsis following birth in water and there is a concern that women giving birth in water may sustain more complex perineal trauma. There have not been studies large enough to show whether waterbirth increases these poor outcomes. The POOL Study (ISRCTN13315580) plans to answer the question about the safety of waterbirths among women who are classified appropriate for midwifery-led intrapartum care. Methods and analysis A cohort study with a nested qualitative component. Objectives will be answered using retrospective and prospective data captured in electronic National Health Service (NHS) maternity and neonatal systems. The qualitative component aims to explore factors influencing pool use and waterbirth; data will be gathered via discussion groups, interviews and case studies of maternity units. Ethics and dissemination The protocol has been approved by NHS Wales Research Ethics Committee (18/WA/0291) the transfer of identifiable data has been approved by Health Research Authority Confidentiality Advisory Group (18CAG0153). Study findings and innovative methodology will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conferences and events. Results will be of interest to the general public, clinical and policy stakeholders in the UK and will be disseminated accordingly.
KW - NEONATOLOGY
KW - OBSTETRICS
KW - PUBLIC HEALTH
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099193157&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040684
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040684
M3 - Article
C2 - 33419905
AN - SCOPUS:85099193157
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 11
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 1
M1 - e040684
ER -