School of Nursing and Midwifery

This module is designed for the needs of those working in the context of maternal and infant health services. That context constitutes a critical junction in health care provision ---between responsive, individualised client-centred health care and the objectives of public health services, to build a foundation for optimal lifetime health of the population.
This module will provide practitioners the opportunity to consider the provision of maternal and infant services within their public health context. The module will consider the changing demographic profile of childbearing women, evidence and trends public health policy and clinical practice. It will enhance practitioners’ understanding of the planning, delivery and evaluation of care in the context of social and clinical change.

This module is available as a compulsory core within BSc Clinical Practice (Maternal & Infant Health)
This module may be undertaken as a stand alone or an elective module within BSc (Hons) award for other pathways.

To provide the opportunity for practitioners to consider the care of women and infants within its public health context and to gain understanding of the planning, delivery and evaluation of care in the context of social and clinical change.

Student will normally possess a current professional registrations with an appropriate body and will be working within a care setting relevant to module content.

What is public health?
Understanding and making sense of data around childbirth and infancy.
• The vital statistics and what they indicate
• Sources of international, national, local data
• What do the data mean for services and practice?

Maternity care in the context of current public health policy:
• The National Service Framework: the context for delivering care nationally and locally.
• Maternity Matters
• Health Inequalities Infant Mortality Public Service Agreement target and local applications.

Structure and operation of local public health agencies and initiatives.

Optimising health for childbearing women and children: evidence and implications for practice at local, national and international levels.

The needs of fathers and other family members in relation to birth and infancy.

The principles and practice of cultural sensitivity.

Influences on and rates and outcomes of caesarean section.
Promoting normality: facilitators and barriers

Public health interventions and strategies and implications for maternity and infant services:
• Perinatal mental health services
• smoking cessation
• domestic violence
• obesity
• sexual health
• teenage conceptions
• infant feeding
• immunisation

Addressing and responding to the needs of vulnerable and hard to reach women and families: e.g. social exclusion, migration, infection and ill health, drug dependency.

Approaches to risk in maternity and infant care: what are the challenges and are we addressing them adequately?

Child protection: legislation, practice

Screening: current policies and implications for women, families and social policy
Good practice for high risk clinical situations e.g. diabetes, hypertension etc.

Female circumcision, drug dependency, sexually transmitted infection and their impacts on maternal and child health.