The Midwife's Multi-dimensional Responsibilities in Child Health in Nigeria: A Mini-review

Abstract

Introduction: Maternal and child health is a crucial indicator of the overall health of a population. In Nigeria, there is a high rate of maternal and child mortality, with the majority of these deaths being preventable. Midwives play an essential role in providing care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period, and are key to improving maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria. This mini-review aimed to provide an overview of the role of midwives in child health in Nigeria, in the 21st century. Methods: A web search was conducted using Google Scholar and PubMed databases. The search terms used were “midwives,” “child health,” “Nigeria,” and “responsibilities,” using Boolean operators. The search was limited to free full text articles published in the English Language between 2010 and 2022. The search yielded a total of 2,927 articles, and after screening the titles and abstracts, 12 full-text articles were used to inform this mini-review using a thematic approach. Results: The articles reviewed indicate that Midwives' responsibilities in child health in Nigeria are diverse and were broadly categorized into nine areas: antenatal care, intrapartum care, postnatal care, promoting community health, family planning, promoting infant feeding and nutrition, providing immunizations, identifying and managing simple childhood illnesses (pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria), and promoting maternal and child health education. Midwife responsibilities were also summarised into preventative or curative activities. Conclusion: Midwives are key players in promoting child health in Nigeria. They have a wide range of responsibilities in child health, including providing antenatal care, attending to deliveries, providing postnatal care, promoting infant feeding and nutrition, providing immunizations, and managing childhood illnesses. In addition, midwives play a crucial role in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality through the provision of emergency obstetric and newborn care services. Efforts to improve child health outcomes in Nigeria must include strategies to enhance the role of midwives in the healthcare system.