Anyone who has enjoyed the great happiness and intimacy of a family-centred birth, and any midwife or health professional who has attended one, owes a debt of gratitude to internationally known Canadian doctor, researcher, and medical reformer, Murray Enkin. Enjoying the Interval takes on the fascinating, joyful task of exploring Dr Enkin’s identity and achievements along with the social context that shaped them. It offers a critical assessment of the ongoing challenges in maternity care, the field to which Enkin devoted his life, but it is also the story of an immigrant Jewish family's contribution to Canadian society and the wider world. Using archival sources and interviews, the book traces Enkin’s story from his birth in 1924; through his early young married life, education, and medical practice; to his passionate championing of the emerging childbirth reform movement and its influence. Interweaving the personal and professional to provide insight into the man, the times and the causes that shaped him, it not only recognises Enkin’s distinctive social contribution but also that of his family and colleagues. It chronicles the highly personable Enkin’s days as a med student awestruck by the courage and beauty of women in labour to his joyful life as a husband and father, to his international impact as a practitioner, academic and researcher, and as an inveterate traveller. Scholarly, yet accessible, it will prove of interest to professional and lay readers alike. Enjoying the Interval is an account of an important social movement that shook the medical establishment, but it’s also a love story, a travelogue, and an entertaining portrait of a complex man who helped to change the world for the better.

Anyone who has enjoyed the great happiness and intimacy of a family-centred birth, and any midwife or health professional who has attended one, owes a debt of gratitude to internationally known Canadian doctor, researcher, and medical reformer, Murray Enkin. Enjoying the Interval takes on the fascinating, joyful task of exploring Dr Enkin's identity and achievements along with the social context that shaped them. It offers a critical assessment of the ongoing challenges in maternity care, the field to which Enkin devoted his life, but it is also the story of an immigrant Jewish family's contribution to Canadian society and the wider world. Using archival sources and interviews, the book traces Enkin's story from his birth in 1924; through his early young married life, education, and medical practice; to his passionate championing of the emerging childbirth reform movement and its influence. Interweaving the personal and professional to provide insight into the man, the times and the causes that shaped him, it not only recognises Enkin's distinctive social contribution but also that of his family and colleagues. It chronicles the highly personable Enkin's days as a med student awestruck by the courage and beauty of women in labour to his joyful life as a husband and father, to his international impact as a practitioner, academic and researcher, and as an inveterate traveller. Scholarly, yet accessible, it will prove of interest to professional and lay readers alike. Enjoying the Interval is an account of an important social movement that shook the medical establishment, but it's also a love story, a travelogue, and an entertaining portrait of a complex man who helped to change the world for the better.

Fear of childbirth, the increasing use of epidurals and soaring caesarean section rates are the focus of much apprehension, debate, and controversy in contemporary maternity care. Across the world, support in labour has been shown to reduce obstetric interventions and improve outcomes for women and babies, yet women often report feeling unhappy with the support they receive. This textbook provides a clear and practical guide to supporting women in labour, looking at a range of techniques and approaches that promote a safe and positive experience of birth for women and their families. Written by two highly experienced midwifery authors, this text draws on up-to-date research, identifying how evidence can be applied to everyday practice. It includes narratives from women and practitioners, including midwives, doulas, childbirth educators and students. These are used to illustrate a range of situations where the quality of support is central to the quality of the experience and outcome. Supporting Women for Labour and Birth encourages readers to reflect on their experiences and examine the evidence provided by both research and the experiences of women and practitioners in order to explore how this could be incorporated into their practice. The only book to deal directly with the practical and emotional issues associated with labour support, it is an ideal text for student midwives and an important reference for practising midwives, doulas and other childbirth practitioners.

"Evidence-based maternity care uses the best available research on the safety and effectiveness of specific practices to help guide maternity care decisions and to facilitate optimal outcomes in mothers and newborns."-- From foreword.

Randomized controlled trials are one of the most powerful and revolutionary tools of research. This book is a convenient and accessible description of the underlying principles and practice of randomized controlled trials and their role in clinical decision-making. Structured in a jargon-free question-and-answer format, each chapter provides concise and understandable information on a different aspect of randomized controlled trials, from the basics of trial design and terminology to the interpretation of results and their use in driving evidence-based medicine. The authors end each chapter with their musings, going beyond the evidence or citations, and sometimes even beyond orthodox correctness to share their thoughts and concerns about different aspects of randomized controlled trials, and their role within the health system. Updated to include insights from the last decade, this second edition challenges over-reliance on randomized controlled trials by debating their strengths and limitations and discussing their optimal use in modern healthcare. It also includes a new and increasingly relevant chapter on the ethics of randomized trials. World renowned writers and thinkers Drs Jadad and Enkin bring you this invaluable book for busy health professionals who wish to understand the theory of randomized controlled trials and their influence on clinical, research or policy decisions.

For many bereaved parents, the care provided by health professionals at birth – from midwives to antenatal teachers – has a crucial effect on their response to a loss or death. This interactive workbook is clearly applied to practice and has been designed to help practitioners deliver effective bereavement care. Providing care to grieving parents can be demanding, difficult and stressful, with many feeling ill equipped to provide appropriate help. Equipping the reader with fundamental skills to support childbearing women, partners and families who have experienced childbirth-related bereavement, this book outlines: What bereavement is and the ways in which it can be experienced in relation to pregnancy and birth Sensitive and supportive ways of delivering bad news to childbearing women, partners and families Models of grieving How to identify when a bereaved parent may require additional support from mental health experts Ongoing support available for bereaved women, their partners and families The impact on practitioners and the support they may require How to assess and tailor care to accommodate a range of spiritual and religious beliefs about death. Written by two highly educated, experienced midwifery lecturers, this practical and evidence-based workbook is a valuable resource for all midwives, neonatal nurses and support workers who work with women in the perinatal period. This book is suitable as a text for BSc and MSc courses in Midwifery; BScs courses in Paediatric Nursing; and for neonatal and bereavement counselling courses.

Murray Enkin, physician, activist for gentle and family-centred childbirth, student of philosophy and questioner of the givens, has written prolifically during his 96 years. A selection of his irreverent aphorisms, his introspective musings on a vast array of topics, and his eloquent articles, speeches, and credos, coalesces into a portrait of one who sees the wonder in the ordinary. Murray lives in Victoria, BC.

This landmark two-volume treatise draws on the work of clinicians and researchers throughout the world to provide a unique new approach to clinical obstetrics. Its aim is to determine the most effective methods of care during pregnancy and childbirth. To this end, the authors provide overviews of data taken from the available controlled trials in which alternative forms of obstetric care have been formally evaluated. Evidence on the effectiveness of these methods--both pro and con--is presented along with information about implications for clinical practice and future research. The result is the most systematic study available on the effectiveness and safety of the full range of clinical procedures, regardless of the particular emphasis or medical context of treatment.

Written by two of the professionís most prominent midwifery leaders, this authoritative history of midwifery in the United States, from the 1600s to the present, is distinguished by its vast breadth and depth. The book spans the historical evolution of midwives as respected, autonomous health care workers and midwifery as a profession, and considers the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities for this discipline as enduring motifs throughout the text. It surveys the roots of midwifery, the beginnings of professional practice, the founding of educational institutions and professional organizations, and entry pathways into the profession. Woven throughout the text are such themes as the close link between midwives and the communities in which they live, their view of pregnancy and birth as normal life events, their efforts to promote health and prevent illness, and their dedication to being with women wherever they may be and in whatever health condition and circumstances they may be in. The text examines the threats to midwifery past and present, such as the increasing medicalization of childbearing care, midwiferyís lack of a common identity based on education and practice standards, the mix of legal recognition, and reimbursement issues for midwifery practice. Illustrations and historical photos depict the many facets of midwifery, and engaging stories provide cultural and spiritual content. This is a ìmust-haveî for all midwives, historians, professional and educational institutions, and all those who share a passion for the history of midwifery and women. Key Features: Encompasses the most authoritative and comprehensive information available about the history of midwifery in the United States Considers the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities for midwifery Illustrated with historical photos and drawings Includes engaging stories filled with cultural and spiritual content, introductory quotes to each chapter, and plentiful chapter notes Written by two preeminent leaders in the field of midwifery

Now published in its Second Edition, the Textbook of Clinical Trials offers detailed coverage of trial methodology in diverse areas of medicine in a single comprehensive volume. Praise for the First Edition: "... very useful as an introduction to clinical research, or for those planning specific studies within therapeutic or disease areas." BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Vol. 92, No. 2, February 2005 The book’s main concept is to describe the impact of clinical trials on the practice of medicine. It separates the information by therapeutic area because the impact of clinical trials, the problems encountered, and the numbers of trials in existence vary tremendously from specialty to specialty. The sections provide a background to the disease area and general clinical trial methodology before concentrating on particular problems experienced in that area. Specific examples are used throughout to address these issues. The Textbook of Clinical Trials, Second Edition: Highlights the various ways clinical trials have influenced the practice of medicine in many therapeutic areas Describes the challenges posed by those conducting clinical trials over a range of medical specialities and allied fields Additional therapeutic areas are included in this Second Edition to fill gaps in the First Edition as the number and complexity of trials increases in this rapidly developing area Newly covered or updated in the Second Edition: general surgery, plastic surgery, aesthetic surgery, palliative care, primary care, anaesthesia and pain, transfusion, wound healing, maternal and perinatal health, early termination, organ transplants, ophthalmology, epilepsy, infectious disease, neuro-oncology, adrenal, thyroid and urological cancers, as well as a chapter on the Cochrane network An invaluable resource for pharmaceutical companies, the Textbook of Clinical Trials, Second Edition appeals to those working in contract research organizations, medical departments and in the area of public health and health science alike.