SynthesisBMC pregnancy and childbirth2023
Effectiveness of midwifery-led care on pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Overcoming barriers and harnessing facilitators: Respectful maternity care in least-developed countries - a systematic review.Women's health (London, England)Pooled it
- Midwifery Students' Definitions of Normal Labor and Birth: A Study From Five Countries.Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitude, and practice of birth attendants regarding partograph use and its association with birth outcomes: a cross sectional study in Iran.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Adequacy of antenatal care and maternal smoking: impacts on gestational age and birth weight among preterm births in a high-risk referral cohort in Western Iran.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- The effects of mother-friendly practices on maternal and fetal outcomes: a multicenter study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Transitioning to midwifery models of care: Implementation insights from focus groups with Health leaders in two African countries.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2026Article
- Experiences of woman- centered care among Iranian midwives and women: a qualitative study.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- Psychometric Validation of a Patient-Reported Measure of Pregnancy and Motherhood Experiences in Turkish Women with Physical Disabilities.International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- Pushing using real-time sonographic ultrasound education (PURSUE): A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2026Article
- Women's Satisfaction with Midwifery-Led Continuity of Care: Insights from Antenatal, Intrapartum, and Postnatal Experiences in the Sidama Region, Ethiopia. A Non-Randomized Control Trial.Health services insights · 2026Article
- Exploring barriers and facilitators to achieving quality antenatal care in Ethiopia: a qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Midwives workload in the context of free maternal healthcare: a cross-sectional study based on the Workload Indicators of Staffing Needs (WISN) method in primary healthcare facilities in Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Strengthening midwifery and nursing interventions to reduce child mortality in South Asia: a policy and practice review.Journal of global health · 2025Review
- Effect of involvement of midwives in maternal care on patient and provider satisfaction in secondary-level public health facilities in Bangladesh: a comparative quasi-experimental study.Journal of global health · 2025Article
- Comparison of maternal and neonatal outcomes of midwifery-led care with routine midwifery care: a retrospective cohort study.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- Causal machine learning models for predicting low birth weight in midwife-led continuity care intervention in North Shoa Zone, Ethiopia.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2025Article
- The effect of midwifery-led continuum of care to improve maternal and newborn outcomes in the Sidama region, Ethiopia: A non-randomized control trial study.SAGE open medicine · 2025Article
- The birthing experience among Indian antenatal mothers in a midwifery-led care unit: A systematic literature review.Bioinformation · 2025Article
- Effect of midwife-led continuity of care combined with individualized breast management on postpartum recovery and lactation function in women undergoing cesarean section.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Effect of midwife-led care models on maternal and fetal outcomes: A scoping review.Bioinformation · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMidwifery-led care is an evidence-based practice in which a qualified midwife provides comprehensive care for low-risk pregnant women and new-borns throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period. Evidence indicates that midwifery-led care has positive impacts on various outcomes, which include preventing preterm births, reducing the need for interventions, and improving clinical outcomes. This is, however, mainly based on studies from high-income countries. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of midwifery-led care on pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.
methodsWe used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Three electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE) were searched. The search results were systematically screened by two independent researchers. Two authors independently extracted all relevant data using a structured data extraction format. Data analysis for the meta-analysis was done using STATA Version 16 software. A weighted inverse variance random-effects model was used to estimate the effectiveness of midwifery-led care on pregnancy outcomes. Odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was presented using a forest plot.
resultsTen studies were eligible for inclusion in this systematic review, of which five studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Women receiving midwifery-led care had a significantly lower rate of postpartum haemorrhage and a reduced rate of birth asphyxia. The meta-analysis further showed a significantly reduced risk of emergency Caesarean section (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27-0.72), increased odds of vaginal birth (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.04-1.23), decreased use of episiotomy (OR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.10-0.82), and decreased average neonatal admission time in neonatal intensive care unit (OR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.44-0.75).
conclusionsThis systematic review indicated that midwifery-led care has a significant positive impact on improving various maternal and neonatal outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. We therefore advise widespread implementation of midwifery-led care in low- and middle-income countries.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.