Midwives are in a prime position to help support pregnant women to stop or cut down on alcohol and other drug use and to improve outcomes for themselves and their children.
A new South Australian initiative will examine the role midwives can play in promoting key public health messages and supporting abstinence during pregnancy.
The program has facilitated a collaboration between experts at Flinders University, the University of Adelaide and the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
In a new research protocol published in Addiction Science and Clinical Practice (BMC), researchers outline how they will investigate the pivotal role midwives play in engaging with pregnant women during regular hospital antenatal clinic checks and suggest improved systems for identifying and supporting the reduction of any alcohol and other drug use during pregnancy.
