What do we really mean when we say that someone is ‘at risk of’ or ‘in need of’ something? Not always what those words imply.
What does “at risk of needing a caesarean” actually mean?
Tag: risk
Word-thought for the day: replacing risk with chance
Freebirth – the evidence
Sara Wickham shares studies and discussions relating to freebirth or unassisted birth and the women who opt for this.
Routine induction in healthy women not supported by evidence
Research looking at the effects of induction of labour shows this is associated with few beneficial outcomes and several adverse outcomes.
Less is more…
When less may be more. Sara Wickham writes about the human tendency to want to prioritise action and ‘doing more’, when this may not be the best solution.
Which first-time mums are more at risk of caesarean?
Which first-time mums are more at risk of caesarean? There is growing concern about the number of unnecessary caesareans, and the rate of these is especially high in first-time mums. That concern is the reason behind doing the research that…
Reflecting on risk assessment
Risk assessment is an integral part of midwifery and medical practice and yet also something we need to think about more. A few years ago, I spent some time reflecting on the issues raised by revised guidelines on venous thromboembolism…
May Contain Tigers
Warning: this blog post may contain tigers. As someone who lives with a serious food allergy, I have noticed some interesting changes in the information given on product labels over time. Over the years, I have thoroughly enjoyed the proliferation…
Are there good reasons to induce labour?
Are there good reasons to induce labour? That’s a question often posted when I talk or write about labour induction. It’s an understandable question. I have spent more than twenty years writing about how induction isn’t always beneficial. I’ve often…
Bad science and the limitations of choice
Dr Sara Wickham discusses ‘bad science’ and the papers which purport to show that birth is risky. But is risk being used as a means to control?