Midwives’ knowledge of, attitudes towards and experiences of caring for women with intellectual disability during pregnancy and childbirth : a cross-sectional study in Sweden

• Objective: to investigate midwives' knowledge of, attitudes towards andexperiences of caring for women with intellectual disability (ID) during pregnancy andchildbirth. Design/setting: a cross-sectional study among six hundred midwives working at antenatal care and labour wards in Sweden. Results: more than four out of five (81.5%) midwives had experience of caring for womenwith ID. Almost all midwives (97.1%) reported that caring for women with ID is different fromcaring for women without ID. Almost one-half (47.3%) had not received any education aboutpregnancy and delivery of women with ID, and a majority of the midwives (95.4%) requested evidence-based knowledge of women with ID in relation to childbirth. High proportion (69.7%) of the midwives were of the opinion that women with ID cannot satisfactorily manage the mother role, and more than one-third (35.7%) of the midwives considered that womenwith ID should not be pregnant and give birth at all. Most midwives partly/totally agreed that children of women with ID should grow up with their parents supported by the social authorities, but nearly one-fifth (19.1%) partly/totally agreed that the children should grow up in foster care. Conclusions: even if the majority of midwives had experience of caring for women with ID, they were uncertain about how to adapt and give advice and they needed more knowledgeabout these women. Some midwives had negative attitudes towards childbearing amongwomen with ID. Health Service providers should encourage midwives to update theirknowledge and provide supportive supervision in midwifery care for women with ID. 

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

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