Childbirth Care in Spain: Data to Reflect on a Problem

Abstract

Childbirth is the first reason for hospitalization in Spain. After giving birth, it is not easy to get out unscathed from the hospital, in the sense of not having gone through a surgery (cesarean), a cut in the vagina (episiotomy), or other invasive procedures. The aim of this article is to question how scientific evidence is integrated in medical decisions about the delivery. For this, the article describes and analyzes the existing variability of perinatal care in Spain, which shows that the result of the delivery depends much more on factors such as the geography zone or whether the hospital is public or private, rather than the delivery process of women itself. It also analyzes the adequacy of interventions to the standards set by organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health.