Women and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives
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Review Biography Historical Article
The effect of Soranus of Ephesus (98-138) on the work of midwives.
In the Roman period, midwives continued to play an important role in female health care primarily in the attendance of women birth. In the second century AD, midwives' education received a significant boost thanks to the distinguished physician Soranus of Ephesus. ⋯ Soranus' work contributed in the education of midwives and influenced the practice of obstetrics till the Middle Ages.
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Smoking prevalence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant women is quadruple that of non-Indigenous counterparts, impacting on the health of babies and children. ⋯ Anti-tobacco messages and interventions should relate to Aboriginal women's experiences, improve understanding of the quitting process, support efficacy, and capitalise on the positive changes occurring in smoke-free home management. Focus group participants recommended individual, group and family approaches, and access to cessation services and nicotine replacement therapy for Aboriginal pregnant women who smoke.
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Since the National Maternity Services Review, non-medical models of care involving midwives as the primary care giver are gaining prominence in urban settings in Australia. However, there remains a paucity of evidence about which non-medical primary maternity care models are best suited for rural and remote communities. ⋯ Local health service partners are demonstrably ready for further local improvement in providing midwifery-led models of maternity care to women who live in very remote communities in NSW, Australia.