Characteristics of patients receiving midwife-led prenatal care in Canada: results from the Maternity Experiences Survey (MES)

• Published in: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
• Main Authors: Peri Abdullah, Sabrina Gallant, Naseem Saghi, Alison Macpherson, Hala Tamim
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2017
• Subjects: Midwifery; Canada; Education; Alcohol; Pregnancy; Gynecology and obstetrics; RG1-991; Newfoundland; Yukon; British Columbia; Prince Edward Island
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-017-1350-4; https://doaj.org/article/5544f9bc76a440f19aacdbe2eed19d67

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of women in Canada who received care from a midwife during their prenatal period. Methods The findings of this study were drawn from the Maternity Experiences Survey (MES), which was a cross-sectional survey that assessed the experiences of women who gave birth between November 2005 and May 2006. The main outcome variable for this study was the prenatal care provider (i.e. midwife versus other healthcare providers). Demographic, socioeconomic, as well as health and pregnancy factors were evaluated using bivariate and multivariate models of logistic regression. Results A total of 6421 participants were included in this analysis representing a weighted total of 76,508 women. The prevalence of midwife-led prenatal care was 6.1%. The highest prevalence of midwife-led prenatal care was in British Columbia (9.8%), while the lowest prevalence of midwife-led prenatal care was 0.3% representing the cumulative prevalence in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Yukon. Factors showing significant association with midwife-led prenatal care were: Aboriginal status (OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.41–3.64), higher education with bachelor and graduate degree attainment having higher ORs when compared to high-school or less (OR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.71–4.31 and OR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.81–5.55, respectively), and alcohol use (OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.17–2.26). Age, marital status, immigrant status, work during pregnancy, household income, previous pregnancies, perceived health, maternal Body Mass Index (BMI), and smoking during the last 3 months of pregnancy were not significantly associated with midwife care. Conclusions In general, women who were more educated, have aboriginal status, and/or are alcohol drinkers were more likely to receive care from midwives. Since MES is the most recent resource that includes information about national midwifery utilization, future studies can provide more up-to-date information ...