Description:
This is a logical, concise and easy to read book written by midwives for midwives and is intended to build up existing understanding surrounding emergency procedures. Each chapter is self-contained and deals with a separate emergency.
The book fills a gap in the market that exists between the basic and the complex books, and will be a good teaching resource for student midwives as well as providing a good revision guide for qualified staff. Although most of the topics in this book are obstetric emergencies and therefore high-risk situations, the authors have successfully managed to keep this in perspective alongside the normal physiological processes of birth. First aid measures from a community/stand-alone midwifery-led perspective are discussed alongside the intensive hospital procedures.
As a supervisor of midwives, I was delighted with the high profile of accurate record keeping together with a real emphasis on reflection and debriefing for all involved, especially the woman and her family.
Chapter 4 details eclampsia and pre-eclampsia but the new evidence that magnesium sulphate halves the risk of eclampsia and probably reduces maternal death is missing. It would seem that the book was published prior to June 2002 when the findings from the Magpie Trial were published (1). The excellent final chapter is based on assessing and managing risk in midwifery practice. It urges midwives in this time of change to empower themselves and to continue to foster a network of supportive colleagues to further excellent risk management strategies.
Overall this book provides a very useful guide for midwives regardless of whether they are hospital or community based. As it is expensive for midwives to purchase individually, it would be an excellent resource for them to access if purchased by hospital or community midwifery teams. It is not a substitute for practical training but will give a greater understanding, depth and meaning to the training situation.
References
1. The Magpie Trial Collaborative Group. Do women with pre-eclampsia, and their babies, benefit from magnesium sulphate? The Magpie Trial: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2002;359:1877-90.
Jayne Shepherd, midwife.
Author: Maureen Boyle (Ed) | Reviewed by Jayne Shepherd, midwife.
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Emergencies around childbirth: a handbook for midwives (Paperback)