Every year over half a million women in the developing world die during pregnancy and childbirth. A further nine million suffer complications, some so serious they can result in life-long pain and disability. While improving maternal health is one of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the issue remains high on the international agenda, in reality maternal mortality rates are increasing in some of the world’s poorest countries.

You may be interested in our recent findings, which revealed the costs of NHS in-house leaflet production is 13 times higher than purchasing MIDIRS Informed Choice. The case study below examines in more detail the cost of developing patient information leaflets in-house, and highlights how MIDIRS Informed Choice can provide a cost effective alternative.

Cup feeding has been around for centuries and examples of feeding vessels are on show in museums around the world. It is only in the last 50 years that there has been an explosion in the variety of bottles, teats and cups with spouts and lids. This dominates Western cultures but is likely to spread even further as the potential for world-wide sales of such products continue to grow.

In the National Service Framework for Women and Children (Department of Health, 2004), the guidelines clearly state that by 2009, every woman should be offered her choice of pain relief in labour, including the use of water.

Given that the summer season is upon us, and in view of the glorious weather we were enjoying at the time of planning this issue, we elected to adopt a theme that reflects all things ‘summertime’, and that encompasses water! My column this month was a very natural choice (in more ways than one), focusing on MIDIRS Informed Choice ‘The use of water during childbirth’. This is a title that has always generated discussion and comment – both positive and negative.