Midwives to be Part of Health Care in NB

NB Health Minister Mike Murphy said he will introduce legislation to regulate the profession of midwives in the New Brunswick health-care system. Up until now, N.B., P.E.I., and Newfoundland & Labrador were the only provinces in Canada that had not yet passed such legislation, preceded by N.S. who passed it this passed November.

Midwives often help women in their homes with their pregnancies and deliveries, and
Murphy said there is evidence from other countries that midwives offer an effective alternative to hospital deliveries in normal pregnancies. Midwives are also far more cost effective than treating women using traditional medical procedures in clinics and hospitals.

Kate Nicholl, a midwife in the Fredericton area, says that it's about time the province recognized the work. "In Ontario, for instance, 7 % of births are cared for by midwives and in other countries, 60 to 70 % are managed by midwives," Nicholl said Wednesday. "We're delighted to make a start and delighted to hear that things will be in motion very soon."

In the beginning, midwives will be assigned only to hospitals, but eventually they may be able to work in the homes of pregnant women. A committee will work out the details on how midwives will be regulated and insured. The service is funded in most provinces where it has been regulated.