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An investigation of a cluster of cancer cases occurring amongst midwives who had worked at National Women's Hospital from 1966 to 2000

By Walls, C
on Monday, 01 Oct 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 25

In 1999 Mrs Jocelyn Boddie, a midwife who had worked at National Women’s Hospital (NWH), approached Mr Gary Henry, General Manager of the hospital, expressing her concern at the number of midwives who had worked at NWH who had been recently diagnosed as suffering from cancer. Her letter raised the possibility of a workplace association causing or contributing to this cluster of cases. This report provides a brief overview of the resulting study completed in July 2001.

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From different horizons: childbirth, tradition and politics

By Smythe, L
on Monday, 01 Oct 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 25

I wish to share with you a unique opportunity I had to consider childbirth from a different horizon, and to ponder on how the political, cultural context shapes midwifery practice. I further seek to show the courage, commitment and innovation that needs to be enacted to take people to a new standpoint. In January 2001 I had the privilege of visiting Mali to monitor World Vision projects… One project related specifically to the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM), and through this encounter I made a brief visit to a maternity hospital… It has been my experience that in coming face to face with ‘difference’, one more clearly comes to see the things that are taken for granted within the New Zealand maternity services.

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Editorial: Contributing to the New Zealand College of Midwives Journal

By White, G
on Sunday, 01 Apr 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 24

Final issue for editor Gillian White. Discusses submitting articles to journal and also the expertise of authors in this issue.

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Childbearing women and poverty in the developing world

By Levine, M
on Sunday, 01 Apr 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 24

In working with childbearing families in the developing world for more than thirty years and despite the emergence of a so called global community, the web of poverty for the majority of women and their children has not changed. For many, the cycle of poverty has even intensified and is manifested as a downward spiral that is difficult to evade (Beneria & Bisnath, 1996; Filmer & Pritchett, 1997; Levine, 2000a, 1993; Prakasamme, 1998; Solimano, 1999; Williams, Baumslag, & Jelliffe, 1994). As the state and status of poor childbearing women and their young children continues to deteriorate, pregnancy, labour and delivery, and the puerperium are fraught with multiple risks to both mother and baby. This paper will address numerous influencing factors that contribute to the complex issues of childbearing women and their children in the developing world, and the invisibility of their struggle.

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International trends and partnerships in midwifery education

By Pairman, S
on Sunday, 01 Apr 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 24

Midwifery practice and midwifery education are inextricably intertwined. To prepare the midwife of the future it is necessary to offer her an education that provides her with the knowledge and skills necessary to practise safely and effectively. To do this, it is essential that the student midwife can work alongside more experienced midwives who work in the model that she is being taught. Practising midwives are the most influential role models for students, and thus must understand and believe in the model of midwifery that the student is being taught. Changes can be made to maternity systems in countries through legislation but the most significant change comes from socialisation of midwives and women to a new way of looking at maternity systems. When women and midwives start to do things differently, society as a whole begins to change and the dominant values of the maternity services can begin to change.

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In pursuit of 'warmth' in practice

By Vague, S
on Sunday, 01 Apr 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 24

Giving birth is a powerful experience. Women retain vivid memories of their labour and birth, sometimes decades later (Simkin, 1992). The midwife’s part in the birth story is important because she is the health professional who spends a significant amount of time with a labouring woman. Her actions or words can have a profound effect on whether or not the experience is a positive one. Some midwives stand out by virtue of their ability to establish a real rapport with most women in their care. What is it about the kind of relationship established with a woman that sets some practitioners apart from their colleagues? How do some midwives appear to develop an extra level of intimacy with women? We can call to mind midwives who would fit this description. Identifying what qualities they possess, or maybe what personality traits they display, is more difficult. The added dimension that these midwives bring to their midwifery relationships, however, is apparent to midwives and women alike.

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Evaluation of educational aspects of the New Zealand College of Midwives Standard [sic] Review Process

By Barlow, A
on Sunday, 01 Apr 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 24

A case study evaluation of educational aspects of the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM) Midwifery Standards Review process was undertaken in 1999 in the Auckland NZCOM region. This summary outlines the key findings. A full report is available from the writer.

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Caesarean section in the absence of clinical indications

By Douche, J
on Sunday, 01 Apr 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 24

Childbirth is a major life event for women and their families. Women’s memories of satisfaction with their birth experience remain constant over many years and can have a lasting impact on their self-image (Simpkin, 1992; Kitzinger, 1992). Of particular concern is the rise in caesarean section rates (National Health Committee [NHC], 1999). The committee identified a wide variation in the rates of caesarean births within ethnic groups, socio-economic status, providers and regions, suggesting that the driving force behind this development could in part be attributed to an interplay between women’s and obstetricians’ preferences (NHC, 1999). Moreover, the lowest rates were found to be among women who have been represented as having the greatest risk for birth complications. These findings parallel overseas trends (Francombe & Savage, 1993; Ministry of Health, 1999) and are interesting in the light of the new section 51 notice of the Health and Disabilities Services Act, 1993 and the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumer Rights, 1996, both of which have affirmed the right of women to make choices in pregnancy and childbirth. The experience of a caesarean birth not only has consequences for a woman’s satisfaction but may also impact on her future childbearing choices.

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Alternative vs. conventional medicines: a clash of culture or of science?

By Heinemann, J
on Sunday, 01 Apr 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 24

Entire communities of health care practitioners are squatting in encampments demarcated by their position on the use and efficacy of what are often called ‘alternative’ and sometimes ‘traditional’ medicines (Iwu & Gbodossou, 2000). Of course these camps are symbolic of only the strongest opinions polarising the debate. Still, the tone of the debate is sufficiently extreme as to make it impossible to forge a coherent and universally accepted definition of alternative medicine (Fulder, 1996). From my academic’s viewpoint, the borders defining these camps appear to be political, derived from ingrained differences in their cultures, rather than inherent differences in the medicines.

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Letter to the editor re: Midwives should nurture their young, not eat them

By Vella, M
on Sunday, 01 Apr 2001 in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal - Volume: 24

Response to Irene Calvert's opinion piece, published in New Zealand College of Midwives Journal 23, p.28

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