Dear Sandra

 I have noted that others have suggested texts with a broad outlook on public health. I would suggest however that you should look ‘outside the box’ on this one. The public health role of the midwife IS the midwife’s role.  The care that we give from pregnancy onwards has an impact on the health and well being of the woman and her unborn baby not just for now but for life. Therefore when you consider the literature you need to look at midwives and teenage pregnancy, substance abuse role, screening, the role in emotional and psychological care, domestic violence in pregnancy, inequalities, meeting the needs of displaced communities, areas of deprivation and social need. You could consider whether the way we construct our services has an impact on health and well being. In addition there is the challenge whether rising caesarean section rates is a public health issue, as the wider impact on the health and well being of the woman and her unborn is significant. You could look at infant feeding as a public health issue and the context of whether our lack of support to mothers in the postnatal period is leading to a public health ‘problem’.   

 

So I would advise don’t stick to the ‘main stream’ but think wider!  If it helps I wrote a chapter in Sally Price Mental health in pregnancy and childbirth called Promoting mental well being.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mental-Health-Pregnancy-Childbirth-Sally/dp/0443103178

 

 

Hope that gets you thinking!

Best wishes

jenny

 

 

 

Hi I am doing my dissertation on the public health role of the midwife.  Does anyone know of any up-to-date papers on the role of the midwife and the role of midwives in public health?
Thanks.
Sandra

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