Programme planning should pay attention to data collection, compilation and storage; an electronic data collection system and appropriate data backup system can reduce the workload of manual/semi electronic labour-intensive system.
Valuable resources continue to be used in some developing countries to fund practices of unknown effectiveness, for example electronic fetal monitoring during labour [ 7].
Examples of such interventions are epidural analgesia, synthetic oxytocin for augmentation of labour, continuous electronic fetal monitoring and horizontal position in the second stage of birth [ 5, 6].
In 1999, episiotomy was routine at all four hospitals; pubic shaving, rectal examination (to monitor labour) and electronic fetal heart monitoring were routine at three hospitals; and enema on admission was common at one hospital.
In 1997, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued guidelines regarding care in normal birth and recommended restricting the use of interventions such as the artificial rupture of membranes, use of oxytocics, the number of vaginal examinations during labour, and electronic fetal monitoring [ 3].
In 1999, practices that were routine (defined as more than 65% of vaginal births) during normal delivery and contrary to current evidence and international standards included episiotomy (all four hospitals); pubic shaving, rectal examination to monitor labour and electronic fetal heart monitoring (3 hospitals); and enema on admission was common in the district hospital.
The detail of procedures used to manage the third stage, as well as all clinical outcomes identified during the immediate postpartum period, were prospectively collected by the midwife or obstetrician in charge of the delivery and recorded in the woman's electronic form in the labour room.
A huge range of our electronic products are tainted by forced labour, sexual violence and children forced to fight by armed groups.
The majority of the content of the guidelines focussed on obstetric care, for example, recommending that birth take place on the consultant-led unit, the anaesthetist be informed on arrival to the labour ward, and continuous electronic fetal monitoring during labour.
Cardiotocographic (CTG) anomalies were categorized as suspicious and/or pathological according to specific guidelines for the interpretation of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring in labour [ 18].
Medical interventions such as medicinal pain relief, electronic foetal monitoring and augmentation of labour only take place in obstetrician-led care.
