TY - JOUR ID - 47804 TI - Assessment of Medicalization of Pregnancy and Childbirth in Low-risk Pregnancies: A Cross-sectional Study JO - International Journal of Community Based Nursing & Midwifery JA - IJCBNM LA - en SN - 2322-2476 AU - Sabetghadam, Shadi AU - Keramat, Afsaneh AU - Goli, Shahrbanoo AU - Malary, Mina AU - Rezaei Chamani, Sedighe AD - Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran; AD - Department of Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran; AD - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran; AD - Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran Y1 - 2022 PY - 2022 VL - 10 IS - 1 SP - 64 EP - 73 KW - Cesarean Section KW - Childbirth KW - Medicalization KW - Midwife-led care KW - Pregnancy DO - 10.30476/ijcbnm.2021.90292.1686 N2 - Background: Medicalization may lead to over-testing during pregnancy and increased cesarean section (CS). This study investigated the medicalization of low-risk pregnancies and childbirths in Rasht, Iran.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 337 postpartum women completed a demographic questionnaire and the Medicalized Pregnancy and Childbirth checklist. In this study, medicalization indicators were the source of providing prenatal care, prenatal screening for aneuploidy, number of received care, hospitalization before the onset of labor, intrapartum drug use, and CS. Demographic data were reported using descriptive statistics. Chi-square or Fisher’s exact and Man-Whitney tests were used for comparison purposes. Logistic regression was run to determine the medicalization indicators associated with the mode of childbirth.Results: Of the participants, 82.2% received prenatal care from obstetricians, 85.8% had undergone prenatal screening tests. There was a significant difference between the median number of ultrasound examinations (P=0.006), prenatal screening for aneuploidy (P=0.002), and multivitamin/mineral supplements use (p <0.001), according to the source of providing prenatal care. Of the participants, 67.1% had CS. Women who received prenatal care from obstetricians had about 2.3 times more odds of CS (OR=2.23, P=0.019). Furthermore, with the increased number of ultrasounds, the odds of CS augmented by 25% (OR=1.25, P=0.013). Finally, 26.4% of the participants were hospitalized before the onset of labor; the intervention increased the odds of CS more than twice (OR=2.08, P=0.026).Conclusion: The study showed a picture of medicalization in low-risk pregnancies.Of the medicalization indicators, the source of providing prenatal care, time of admission, and use of ultrasounds were associated with CS. Midwife-led care could diminish medicalization. UR - https://ijcbnm.sums.ac.ir/article_47804.html L1 - https://ijcbnm.sums.ac.ir/article_47804_b93ac208b6517402da16ef92402cd41b.pdf ER -