Sally Tracy – The Conversation

Babies born in private hospitals are more likely to have a problem following birth and to be readmitted to hospital in their first 28 days. Martin LaBar/Flickr

May 22, 2014

Birth intervention – and harm – more likely in private hospitals

Hannah Dahlen, Western Sydney University and Sally Tracy, University of Sydney

Australia has high rates of medical and surgical intervention (including caesarean section) during birth, especially in private hospitals. While these interventions can be harmful if overused, people working…

Only a handful of Australian hospitals offer continuity of care and midwives on call. Image from shutterstock.com

February 4, 2014

Call the Midwife: playing catch up with Australia’s maternity care

Sally Tracy, University of Sydney and Hannah Dahlen, Western Sydney University

In the much-loved British TV drama Call the Midwife, women are offered care from dedicated midwives through pregnancy, labour and birth. The midwives are therefore able to get to know the women and practice…

The total cost of care per woman was AUS$566·74 less for one-on-one midwifery care than for standard maternity care, the study found. Sandor Weisz

September 17, 2013

One‑on‑one midwife care costs the public health system less: study

Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation

A woman who is cared for by the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, labour and after birth saves the public health system around A$550, a new study has found, debunking the myth that it is an expensive…

Women who were randomised to receive midwife-led continuity models of care were less likely to experience preterm birth, the Cochrane review found. feministjulie

August 21, 2013

One‑on‑one midwife care linked to lower risk of premature birth

Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation

Women who have a midwife as their main carer throughout pregnancy and birth are around 23% less likely to have a premature baby than women whose care is shared between different obstetricians, GPs and…

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