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Informed Consent and Refusal in Maternity Care

Register today for this FREE Webinar!

It’s time to put women back in the driver’s seat when it comes to their maternity care decisions. CIMS’ experts have examined how current laws and professional practice guidelines affect patient decision-making in maternity care, and demonstrate in this FREE Webinar how patient access to evidence-based research is particularly important during a time when perinatal mortality and morbidity rates, interventions, and disparities are on the rise in the U.S. Need a continuing education certificate? Processing fees apply.

Participants will learn:
  • The legal and ethical responsibilities that health care professionals have to provide informed consent and refusal
  • The components of informed consent and refusal and how to implement them fully during their interactions with patients
  • The benefits of informed patient decision making and ways to utilize this knowledge to affect policy change within their institutions

This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the Texas Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. (1.33 contact hours)

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 15290, for 1.33 contact hours.

This program is approved by the International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) for 1 contact hour of continuing education.


Updated Breastfeeding Fact Sheet Now Available!

The World Health Organization (WHO), health care associations, and government health agencies affirm the scientific evidence of the clear superiority of human milk and of the hazards of artificial milk products. The WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months, and continue for at least a year and as long thereafter as mother and baby wish. CIMS proudly presents our updated fact sheet “Breastfeeding Is Priceless: There Is No Substitute for Human Milk.” (PDF)

Endorse the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative

The evidence-based Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI) evolved from the collaborative effort of many individuals and more than 26 organizations focused on pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding during meetings spanning nearly three years in the 1990’s. The MFCI – the cornerstone of our mission – is the first and only consensus document on U.S. maternity care. Today, more than 1,000 individuals and organizations have ratified or endorsed the MFCI. Add your name to the growing list of proud endorsers today!

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The Birth Survey

The Birth Survey is an on-going online consumer survey that asks women to provide feedback about their birth experiences. Women’s responses about specific providers and facilities will be available online to other women in their communities to help them decide where and with whom to birth. As they become available, the official facility-level intervention rates gathered from the state departments of health will be paired with the women’s survey responses to help families make their birthing decisions.