Table 3

Health-related outcomes

Recommended practice

Outcome intended to reduce

Beneficial forms of care

Antibiotics for preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (pPROM)¹⁶

Chorioamnionitis; neonatal sepsis

Corticosteroids prior to preterm birth¹⁷

Neonatal death; complications of preterm birth

External cephalic version for breech presentation at term¹⁸

Caesarean section rate; birth trauma

Continuous support during labour¹⁹

Caesarean section rate

Magnesium sulphate for eclampsia and pre-eclampsia^20,21,22

Maternal death; eclampsia

Active management of third stage of labour²³

Postpartum haemorrhage; maternal death

Intraoperative antibiotics during caesarean section²⁴

Maternal infection

Vacuum extraction (versus forceps) for operative delivery²⁵

Perineal injury; postpartum haemorrhage

Immunisation for Hepatitis B²⁶

Hepatitis B infection

Forms of care likely to be harmful

Routine episiotomy²⁷

Perineal injury; maternal infection

Routine shaving* ²⁸

Maternal infection

Routine enemas* ²⁹

Maternal infection

* No clear evidence from Cochrane reviews to support or refute use, but identified as practices of importance to research and evaluate

Henderson-Smart et al. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2007 7:43   doi:10.1186/1471-2288-7-43