Expanding midwifery care in British Columbia could help improve pregnancy outcomes for birthing parents and babies, particularly in rural and remote areas, says a new study. “We found better outcomes for midwifery clients more or less across the board,” said lead author Kathrin Stoll of UBC’s department of family practice. The study examined provincial data about 425,056 births in B.C. between 2008 and 2018. About 80% of the births were low-risk, 19% were moderate and 0.5% were high-risk. Compared with physician clients, midwifery clients were much less likely to have a caesarean delivery and half as likely to have babies with low birth weights. The study shows many people with moderate and high risks want and receive midwifery care, Stoll said. As of 2020, there were only about 300 midwives in B.C., and 28 more are accepted each year to the province’s only midwifery program at UBC. That number will rise to 48 annually this fall.

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