Intrapartum care of healthy women and their babies: summary of updated NICE guidance

#### The bottom line The care that a woman receives during labour has the potential to affect the woman herself, both physically and emotionally, and the health of her baby in the short and longer term. Good communication, support, and compassion from staff, as well as having her wishes respected, can help her feel in control of what is happening and help make birth a positive experience for the woman and her birth companion(s). About 700 000 women give birth in England and Wales each year. Most are healthy, have a straightforward pregnancy, go into labour spontaneously, and give birth to a single baby after 37 weeks of pregnancy. Uncertainty around consistent practice and the availability of new evidence necessitated an update of 2007 guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on intrapartum care.1 This article summarises the most recent recommendations from NICE on the care of healthy women who go into labour at term (37-41 weeks’ gestation) (Clinical Guideline CG190).2 NICE recommendations are based on systematic reviews of the best available evidence and explicit consideration of cost effectiveness. When minimal evidence is available, recommendations are based on the Guideline Development Group’s experience and opinion of what constitutes good practice. Evidence levels for the recommendations are given in italic in square brackets. ### Choosing the planned place of birth