Research at the Centre for Midwifery, Child and Family Health
The CMFH is involved in a number of research projects.
Current projects
The current projects address the major themes of the Centre's work, which are:
- Strengthening and supporting women and families
- Changing policy and systems
- Developing workforce capacity and practice
- Improving Aboriginal maternal and child health
In 2006, a study to explore the transition from midwifery services to child and family health nurses commenced. The study, Understanding transitions of care from midwives to child and family health nurses is funded by a grant from the Nurses and Midwives Board of NSW.
In 2006, the CenteringPregnancy® pilot study commenced. This study is funded by the Telstra Foundation.
The study, Why do midwives stay? is also being conducted through the Centre.
One of our newer projects is BACI (Birth After Caesarean Interventions). This is a multidisciplinary and multi centre study of a complex intervention that focuses on women having their first baby and on women who have had a primary caesarean section.
Another study in progress is the Birth Unit Design (BUD) project which is looking at birth architecture.
Past projects
The Centre has recently completed the evaluation of the St George Homebirth Project (pdf, 265kb). In this project, homebirth services are offered to a selected group of women, as part of public hospital maternity services.
A review of the Ryde Midwifery Caseload Practice was undertaken by A/Prof Sally Tracy and Donna Hartz. Ryde Midwifery Caseload Practice is a primary level maternity service at Ryde Hospital and was implemented in March 2004. The review is based on the 245 women booked with caseload midwives at the Ryde Midwifery Group Practice (RMGP) from September 1st, 2004 until October 31st 2005.
Please download the Quality Review of the Ryde Midwifery Caseload Practice (pdf, 1.46mb)
One of the CMCFH's recent major achievements has been the undertaking of the Australian Midwifery Competency Project for the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. This was undertaken in conjunction with the University of South Australia and Edith Cowan University in Perth and was completed in late 2005.
In 2004, Good Beginnings in conjunction with the CMFH was awarded a grant from the Telstra Foundation for the Dads Connect study. This research project is being undertaken in two sites in Melbourne and one in Sydney.
Another of the Centre's high profile projects was the Evaluation of the NSW Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Strategy for NSW Health. Caroline Homer and Sue Kildea undertook this project which was completed in 2005.