Excerpt

This guideline has been written within a conceptual framework which places the woman and her baby at the centre of care, appreciating that all postnatal care should be delivered in partnership with the woman and should be individualised to meet the needs of each mother-infant dyad. The guideline aims to identify the essential ‘core care’ which every woman and her baby should receive, as appropriate to their needs, during the first 6–8 weeks after birth, based upon the best evidence available.

Contents

• Preface
• 1. Key priorities for implementation
• 2. Introduction
  • 2.1. Background
  • 2.2. Need for the guideline
  • 2.3. Woman and baby centred care
  • 2.4. Aim of the guideline
  • 2.5. Scope
  • 2.6. Responsibility and support for guideline development
  • 2.7. Care Pathway
  • 2.8. Research Recommendations
  • 2.9. Acknowledgements
  • 2.10. Glossary
  • 2.11. Urgency action levels
• 3. Methods
  • 3.1. Introduction
  • 3.2. Developing Key Clinical Questions
  • 3.3. Literature search strategy
  • 3.4. Identifying the Evidence
  • 3.5. Critical appraisal of the evidence
  • 3.6. Economic analysis
  • 3.7. Assigning levels to the evidence
  • 3.8. Forming recommendations
  • 3.9. Areas without evidence and consensus methodology
  • 3.10. Consultation
  • 3.11. The Relationship between the guideline and other national guidance
• 4. Planning the Content and Delivery of Care
  • 4.1. Recommendations
  • 4.2. Evidence Statements for Planning Care
  • 4.3. Principles of care
  • 4.4. Professional Communication
  • 4.5. What are the necessary competencies for postnatal care?
  • 4.6. Is there an optimal length of stay on the postnatal ward?
  • 4.7. What are the models for delivering the care?
  • 4.8. What is the optimal number of postnatal contacts for the best outcomes? What needs to be done at what time?
• 5. Maintaining Maternal Health
  • 5.1. Recommendations
  • 5.2. Evidence Statements for Maternal Health
  • 5.3. Introduction
  • 5.4. Major Physical Morbidities
  • 5.5. Mental Health and Well being
  • 5.6. Physical Health and Well being
• 6. Infant Feeding
  • 6.1. Recommendations
  • 6.2. Evidence Statements for Infant Feeding
  • 6.3. Breastfeeding
  • 6.4. Feeding formula milk
• 7. Maintaining Infant Health
  • 7.1. Recommendations
  • 7.2. Evidence Statements for Infant Health
  • 7.3. The healthy baby
  • 7.4. Emotional Attachment and Parenting
  • 7.5. Physical Examinations and Screening
  • 7.6. Physical Health and Well being
  • 7.7. Vitamin K
  • 7.8. Safety
• References
• Appendices
  • Appendix A. Audit Criteria
  • Appendix B. Scope
  • Appendix C. Clinical Evidence Extractions
  • Appendix D. Health Economic Extractions by Question
  • Appendix E. Clinical Questions and Search Strategies

Suggested citation:

Demott K, Bick D, Norman R, Ritchie G, Turnbull N, Adams C, Barry C, Byrom S, Elliman D, Marchant S, Mccandlish R, Mellows H, Neale C, Parkar M, Tait P, Taylor C, (2006) Clinical Guidelines And Evidence Review For Post Natal Care: Routine Post Natal Care Of Recently Delivered Women And Their Babies. London: National Collaborating Centre For Primary Care And Royal College Of General Practitioners.