Novel waterbirth study wins excellence in midwifery research award

A groundbreaking study on the safety of waterbirths, funded by Health and Care Research Wales and led by our Specialty Lead for Reproductive Health, Professor Julia Sanders, has been awarded the Excellence in Midwifery for Research by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

The POOL study, led by Cardiff University’s School of Healthcare Sciences and Centre for Trials Research, is the largest global investigation of its kind, examining waterbirths across 73,229 births from 26 NHS sites between January 2015 and June 2022. The study focused on women without pregnancy complications who used water immersion during labour.

The main study paper, published in British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG), found no increased risk of obstetric anal sphincter injury or serious neonatal morbidity among waterbirths than in births out of the water.

Professor Sanders, who led the research team, said: “As a result of the study, midwives can now answer with complete confidence that waterbirth is a safe option for women and their babies.

“The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has already indicated that the results of the study’s findings will inform future recommendations on waterbirths.”

The team has worked with its PPI partners and multidisciplinary collaborators to develop free online resources to share the findings with midwives and expectant parents.  

Award judges praised the study for its conclusive evidence on the safety of waterbirths and its potential to make a significant impact on maternity care for both midwives and women.

Read about the waterbirth experience of Heledd Williams.

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