Description In Spring 2023, this subject replaced by NURS 5006 - Maternal and Infant Health Care. Maternal and Infant Health care introduces students from Nursing, Health Sciences and other disciplines to the key physiological, social and emotional issues around pregnancy, labour and birth and early parenthood. It also examines the Australian maternity care system and model of care. Content covered in the subject will include; foetal development, normal physiological labour and birth, health promoting behaviours and development of parenting confidence. Importance will also be placed on the role of social support, infant feeding practices and communication and newborn care. Models of care and the impact of the media on shaping parenting ideas and practices will be covered.
School Nursing & Midwifery
Discipline Nursing
Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp
Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.
Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject
Restrictions
Students must have completed at least 120 credit points in a nursing or health related degree. This subject is not available to students in the Bachelor of Midwifery.
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
Identify social determinants of health and other factors (role of communities and significant others) that may impact on outcomes for mothers, their infants and families
Describe normal physiological labour and birth processes and foetal and newborn growth and development.
Identify deviations from normal and common obstetric interventions that interfere with normal labour and birth
Critically reflect on a range of childbearing and childrearing practices through a perspective of cultural competency
Critically analyse a range of infant feeding practices
Explore how pregnancy, birth and infant feeding are represented in the media and the impact on expectant and new parents.
Compare and contrast maternity models of care in an Australian context, with a particular focus on collaboration among health professionals and communities.
Conception and hormonal influences on preconception health
Normal pregnancy, labour and birth
- foetal growth and development
Deviations from normal
- some Complications, common obstetric interventions, grief and loss
Newborn growth and development
Role of health professionals working in a multidisciplinary team
- Midwives, Nurses, child and family health Nurses, doctors
Maternal and paternal self-care / postpartum practices
- cultural influences
- social Determinants of health and Factors impacting on Maternal and infant outcomes
Infant feeding practices
- breastfeeding, formula feeding
Media representations of pregnancy, birth and infant feeding
Maternity models of care in Australia
- Continuity Models of care ? Midwifery Models of care
- private obstetrician led care
- general practitioner shared care
Assessment
The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.
