Midwifery
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Comparative Study
Support in the first stage of labour from a female relative: the first step in improving the quality of maternity services.
to undertake a substantial descriptive study to assess whether the provision of labour support, in hospitals in Jordan, by a female relative during the first stage of labour affected duration of labour, use of pharmacological pain relief, mode of delivery and the woman's postpartum perception of the birth experience. ⋯ labour support by a female relative is a cost-effective and beneficial practice to apply to intrapartum care in hospitals in developing countries with limited resources, such as Jordan. Labour support is not routine practice and is not permitted in Jordan, as in many other countries. Consideration should be given to change maternity systems to ensure that all women have access to such support.