Nurse-midwifery prototypes: Clinical practice and education: The alternative birth center in jacksonville, florida: the first two years

Abstract

Alternative birth centers (ABC) offer pregnant women a non-hospital, non-home environment in which to have uncomplicated childbirth. The experience at an ABC in Jacksonville, Florida, involving all patients laboring at the center from 9/11/80 through 4/14/82, was reviewed. One hundred and eleven patients were accepted into the center during the two-year period from April 1980 to April 1982; of these, 22 (20%) were transferred antepartum, 18 (16%) were transferred intrapartum, and 71 (64%) labored and delivered at the center. The Apgar scores of the 71 patients delivering at the center were greater than or equal to 8 at 1 min and 9 at 5 min. There were no fetal or maternal losses during this period, nor was there any significant fetal or maternal morbidity in this group.