Trained Midwives can Provide Safe Abortions
Ivanhoe Newswire
KXAN.com Austin
December 9, 2006 Government-trained midwives can provide abortions to women in their first trimester as safely as doctors, according to study published this week. Researchers from the World Health Organization compared abortions administered by either doctors or by trained mid-level professionals -- health care providers who are not doctors. They report the rates of complications were very low and similar for both groups. The researchers conclude that allowing more trained health professionals without medical degrees could make abortions less costly and more accessible to women who want to end an unintended pregnancy. Women are killed every day by complications of unsafe or illegal abortions, according to background information in an accompanying comment published in The Lancet. An estimated 220,000 children are orphaned each year because their mothers could not afford or access a safe abortion. This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/. SOURCE: The Lancet, published online Nov. 29, 2006
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