Overview

On October 29, 2008, WHO Technical Consultation on Postpartum and Postnatal Care was held in Geneva, Switzerland. This report reflects the discussions, proceedings and recommendations for follow-up.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is in the process of revising and updating its guidance on postpartum and postnatal care delivered by skilled providers. The purposes of the revision are to encourage and support broader provision of care and to foster a new, woman-centred concept of care that promotes health and sustains attention to dangerous complications. This consultation report also discusses follow up activities after the revision of the WHO guidance.

Contents

• [Acknowledgements]
• Preface
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Providing postpartum and postnatal care: towards a new concept
• 3. Updating WHO guidelines on postpartum and postnatal care
• 4. Scope of the updated WHO guidelines
• 5. Preparations for the WHO Technical Consultation on Postpartum and Postnatal Care
  • 5.1 Identifying existing guidelines and epidemiological evidence
  • 5.2 Review and critical appraisal
  • 5.3 Formation of the international panel of experts
• 6. WHO Technical Consultation on Postpartum Care
  • 6.1 Objectives
  • 6.2 Participants and proceedings
  • 6.3 Defining terms
  • 6.4 Assessment of existing guidelines and information on the postnatal period
  • 6.5 Conclusions
• 7. Next steps
• Reference
• Tables: Recommendations for routine postnatal care of women and their babies, National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care, 2006
• 1 List of participants
• 2 Glossary

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