International Seminar Normal Birth: Experiences from Portugal and Beyond

On February 28th February it was held at Lisbon the Seminar “Normal Birth”, organized by Maria Johanna Schouten full researcher and Co-Director of the Research Centre for Social Sciences and Joanna White from CRIA of Lisbon University.

Presentation:
While the term `normal birth´ is now in common par-lance within the maternal health sector, the rate of technical interventions during childbirth continues to increase internationally, with spiralling costs. The type and prevalence of particular interventions vary widely across European states. These differences relate to the cultural, political and institutional history of the development of maternal health services in each country, including the childbirth approaches embraced by policy makers and practitioners, the strength of civil society movements for normal birth and the power and status of medical professionals and other stakeholders.
This half-day seminar aims to facilitate the sharing of relevant research and experience related to normal birth, and to stimulate discussion regarding opportunities for promoting normal birth practices as well as salutogenic outcomes, in Portugal. It is targeted at maternal health professionals, academics, students, service user group representatives and policy-makers working in the Portuguese context.
This meeting, held in association with the COST Ac-tion ISO907 network project “Childbirth Cultures, Concerns and Consequences”, is the first of a series of seminars to be held over the coming years, as new research and pilot interventions related to childbirth practices emerge in Portugal.

Program:
Introduction:
Towards a cultural history of childbirth in Portugal/ Introdução: Para uma história cultural do parto em Portugal
Joanna White, Research Fellow (CRIA/UL) e Maria Johanna Schouten (CICS/UBI)

Keynote presentation/Palestra Inaugural
What is Normal Birth and why does it matter?/ O que é Parto Normal e porquê é importante?Soo Downe, Professor of Midwifery, University of Central Lancashire, UK

Humanization of childbirth: the motto for birth-related social movements in Portugal / Humanização do parto: o lema de movimentos sociais relacionados com o parto em Portugal
João Arriscado Nunes, (CES, UC)
Marta Roriz ,(CES, UC)

Factors affecting the caesarean rates: findings from a cohort in Northern Portugal/ Factores afetando as taxas de cesarianas: resultados de uma pesquisa do norte de Portugal Cristina Teixeira (Institute of Public Health, UP/ Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, UP Medical School)

Normal Birth in Portugal: the water birth experience in Hospital de São Bernardo, Setubal/ Parto normal em Portugal: a experiência de «parto na água» no Hospital de São Bernardo, Sétubal
Vitor Varela (President of the College of Specialty of Maternal Health and Obstetrics Nursing/ Head of the Delivery Room, Hospital de São Bernardo, Setubal)

Discussion/ Debate

Closing/ Encerramento

By admin in Events on 04/01/2013