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March/April 2020 - Volume 45 - Issue 2
pp: 73-132,E3-E8
Table of Contents Outline
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Editorial

Promoting Excellence in Inpatient Maternity Nursing

Simpson, Kathleen Rice

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):73, March/April 2020.

We are very pleased to offer these six articles on key aspects of inpatient maternity nursing care and hope you enjoy reading them.

Hot Topics in Maternity Nursing

Improving Access to Hormonal Contraception Methods

Killion, Molly M.

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):124, March/April 2020.

Over-the-counter access to hormonal contraceptive methods is safe and can help women prevent unintended pregnancy. Our maternity nursing expert, Molly Killion, presents an overview of the recent committee opinion on this topic from our colleagues at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Hot Topics in Pediatric Nursing

Heavy Metals in Baby Food: What Providers and Parents Need to Know

Beal, Judy A.

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):125, March/April 2020.

A recent study found that 95% of baby foods are contaminated with heavy metals. Our pediatric nursing expert, Dr. Beal, explains the details of the 2019 study from Healthy Babies Bright Futures and how nurses can advise parents to avoid the most commonly contaminated foods.

Breastfeeding

Using World Breastfeeding Week to Transform Institutional Culture

Spatz, Diane L.

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):126, March/April 2020.

Our breastfeeding expert, Dr. Spatz, provides details of her hospital's celebration for world breastfeeding week and encourages other hospitals to develop similar activities to promote human milk and breastfeeding.

Global Health and Nursing

Surviving and Having a Healthy Baby Are Low Bars for Childbirth: Women Have the Right to Expect Much More

Callister, Lynn Clark

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):127, March/April 2020.

Lack of respectful maternity care is an ongoing issue in the United States and around the world. Our global health nursing expert, Dr. Callister, covers recent studies and the recommendations for improvement from the World Health Organization.

Toward Evidence-Based Practice

Perinatal Patient Safety Column

Ongoing Crisis in Lack of Maternity Services in Rural America

Simpson, Kathleen Rice

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):132, March/April 2020.

Many women have limited access to basic maternity services in areas of the United States where there are no nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, family medicine physicians, or obstetricians, and no hospital with a maternity unit. Recommendations from the March of Dimes and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for solving the crisis of maternity care deserts are reviewed.

Preventing Hypothermia during Cesarean Birth: An Integrative Review

Dendis, Michelle; Hooven, Katie

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):102-108, March/April 2020.

In this integrative review, warming measures to prevent maternal hypothermia during the perioperative period for women having cesarean birth were evaluated. Warming measures found to be beneficial are intravenous fluid warming, upper body force-air warming, ambient operating room temperature, and warming mattresses. National guidelines from the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses, the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses, and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses are consistent with current evidence and should be in place and followed in every maternity unit caring for women having cesarean birth.

Delaying the First Newborn Bath and Exclusive Breastfeeding

Long, Kathleen; Rondinelli, June; Yim, Ashley; More

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):110-115, March/April 2020.

Delaying the first newborn bath has been suggested as a strategy to improve exclusive breastfeeding rates during postpartum hospitalization. In this study, exclusive breastfeeding rates were compared before and after a change in practice in newborn bathing in a maternity unit where exclusive breastfeeding rates were higher than average rates in the United States. The practice change was successful and sustained over 10 months, but did not significantly increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding among the mother-infant cohorts studied.

Commentary

Threats to Patient Safety in the Inpatient Maternity Setting

O'Neill, Loraine; Miller, Lisa A.; Rohan, Annie J.

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):74-81, March/April 2020.

As part of our special topics issue on inpatient maternity care, three nurse experts were asked to offer their thoughts about the main issues putting mothers and babies at risk in the hospital setting and what quality and safety practices may be beneficial in keeping them safe from harm.

CE Connection

Clinical Implications of Fetal Heart Rate Interpretation Based on Underlying Physiology

O'Brien-Abel, Nancy

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):82-91, March/April 2020.

Understanding the physiology of fetal oxygenation and various influences on the fetal heart rate supports nurses, midwives, and physicians in interpreting and managing electronic fetal heart rate tracings during labor and birth. A review and update on clinical implications of fetal heart rate pattern interpretation based on underlying physiology is presented.

Complications of Cesarean Birth: Clinical Recommendations for Prevention and Management

Burke, Carol; Allen, Roma

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):92-99, March/April 2020.

Maternal morbidity and mortality is significantly increased with cesarean birth as compared to vaginal birth. In this clinical review, strategies for prevention and management of three complications of cesarean birth are presented; postpartum hemorrhage, surgical site infection, and venous thromboembolism. Pertinent patient safety bundles, toolkits, protocols, and national standards and guidelines are applied to care of women having cesarean birth.

Maternity Nurses' Knowledge about Sudden Unexpected Postnatal Collapse and Safe Newborn Positioning

Addison, Camilla; Ludington-Hoe, Susan

MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing. 45(2):116-121, March/April 2020.

Rooming-in, skin-to-skin contact, and breastfeeding are common practices in the newborn period. Yet, skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding have been associated with an increase in sudden unexpected postnatal collapse in healthy newborns, which commonly occurs when the newborn's airway becomes obstructed. An overview of sudden unexpected postnatal collapse is presented along with results of a survey of nurses' knowledge of these types of events.