How does underwater birth affect neonatal health and well being - Essay Example

Naturally, this procedure of birth requires a large accumulation of water like a pool or a tub, which can be utilized as an effective receptive medium of labor (Cluett, Burns, 2011, p.2). Water birth represents a unique way of giving birth and marks a departure from the traditional labor procedure. People have been curious to know the effectiveness and success of this new process. For this purpose, there have been numerous studies and researches undertaken to find out the effects of water birth on the pregnant women and also on the newborn infants.

For expectant mothers, giving birth in water is considered to a much more gentle process than the conventional labor method lying on a bed. Studies have shown that water birth enhances maternal relaxation, decreases the analgesia requirements and encourages the women to easily adopt a model of care for their newborns. However, the benefits of the water birth process on neonatal health have not yet been so emphatically established. There is still a lot of discussion and research being undertaken on the impact of water birth on the health of the babies born by this method.

This literature review has attempted to examine the information available on this topic. Women from across the world often opt for water birth as this eases the process of labor. However, they should also be made aware of the impacts on this method on the health condition of the new born infants. This would help expectant mothers to make an informed decision regarding a suitable procedure of giving birth. The findings of the different reviews are expected to provide conclusive results on the relevant subject.

The existing research work will be examined and evaluated to find out whether there exist valid inferences which can help expecting women to make a prudent decision regarding their own health and that of their newborn children. (Ros, 2009, p.36) The