Abstract:
Background: Checklists are useful tools to remember the complex childbirth process to ensure
both the mother and newborn receive the safest care possible. The WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist is a tool to improve the quality of care provided to women giving birth. Studies show mixed results on effect of the use of this checklist on maternal and/or perinatal outcomes.
Objective: To assess the effect of using of the WHO safe childbirth checklist on maternal and
perinatal outcomes.
Methods: Using a predefined and documented search strategy published studies were searched
from Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effect, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online/PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Population Information Online, British Medical Journal, Citation indexes like Scopus, Google scholar. Studies found during the search were screened using set criteria, critically appraised using Joanna Briggs Institute’s critical appraisal checklists. Finally, six studies were included in the systematic review out of 8,839 study articles retrieved from those data bases.
Results: Five of the six studies were critically appraised using Joanna Brigs Institute’s tool and
were found to be of moderate quality evidence. The six included studies were conducted in
different settings ranging from a primary care center to a tertiary care center. Despite differences
in measurement of maternal outcomes, all the four studies reviewed showed that there is no
statistically significant difference in maternal outcomes among mothers who were followed using WHO’s safe childbirth checklist as compared to those mothers followed without the use of the checklist. Half of the six studies reviewed showed that there is no statistically significant difference in perinatal outcomes among babies delivered from mothers followed using WHO’s safe childbirth checklist as compared to those babies delivered from mothers followed without the use of the checklist.
......................................... Thesis available at ACIPH Library