The need for appropriate language in the debate on medicalisation of pregnancy

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 401; no. 10379; pp. 818 - 819
• Main Authors: Cluver, Catherine, de Groot, Christianne, Mol, Ben W, Murphy, Kellie E, Norman, Jane E, Pacagnella, Rodolfo, Palmer, Kirsten, Poon, Liona C, Rolnik, Daniel L, Spong, Catherine Y, Stock, Sarah J, Thangaratinam, Shakila, Tong, Stephen, Verhoeven, Corine, Vuong, Lan N, Walker, Sue P, Xiaohua, Liu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 11-03-2023; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Aggression; Babies; Decision making; Female; Health care; Humans; Induced labor; Intervention; Maternal & child health; Medical research; Medicalization; Obstetrics; Pregnancy; Technology assessment; Womens health; United Kingdom > UK; France; United States > US
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00125-3

[...]in a recent UK law case, the judge upheld the right for women to have information about any material risk to make autonomous decisions about how to give birth.7 The debate about the medicalisation of pregnancy (and medicalisation of life in general) is important, but that debate should never be conflated with good research or used to impugn researchers and clinicians who address important questions in an appropriate and ethical manner. [...]GROG and other research networks have identified many interventions that are ineffective; these studies have protected women from the possible harm of such interventions.8,9 Additionally, the use of terms such as “obstetric violence” from The Lancet's Editor-in-Chief is unfortunate. SJS declares grants from the National Institute of Healthcare Research Health Technology and Assessment, Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, The Chief Scientist Office of Scotland, and Tommy's Charity, all paid to her institution; consulting fees on pre-term birth treatments to Natera; honoraria for educational speaking from Hologic, all paid to her institution; participation in the National Institute of Healthcare Research Health Technology and Assessment data monitoring committee and trial steering committee in the past 36 months; and a leadership role in the Trustee of Sands charity.