Tagged / Prof. Vanora Hundley

CMWH researcher highlights disparities in early labour information

Congratulations to Maryam Malekian on her presentation at the Royal College of Midwives’ symposium on the top 10 maternity research priorities.

This presentation highlighted the disparities in online information for women in the early phase of labour.

The study found that only 49% of 146 hospital websites in the UK provided guidance specific to early labour or included a dedicated section on the latent phase. There was marked variation in availability, accessibility, and content. Accessibility was often limited, with few multilingual resources, alternative formats, or inclusive visual materials. Most guidance was text-heavy, with minimal use of multimodal or user-friendly formats and limited representation of diverse populations.

The paper has been published as part of a special issue with CMWH senior lecturer Laura Iannuzzi as guest editor.

Malekian M, Mylod M, Tariq H, Hundley V (2026) Equity and inclusion: a review of NHS and HSC online information for women in the early phase of labour. Healthcare 14(13), 1911 https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14131911

Official book launch at Bournemouth University

international, Publishing, writing

Last night Bournemouth University hosted the official launch at of the book Early Labour and Maternity Care: Research for Practice published by Routledge.  This edited collection was led by Prof. Vanora Hundley in the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH) and University of Stirling Prof. Helen Cheyne.  Several BU staff as well as a current and a former BU student student have contributed to various chapters.  CMWH academics include in this edited volume are: Prof. Carol Clark and Dr. Dominique Mylod, our current BU M.Res. student Maryam Malekian and the former BU Ph.D. student and former staff member who contributed a chapter is Dr. Preeti Mahato (currently based at Royal Holloway, University of London).

The book launch was opened by Prof. Rick Stafford as Associate Dean – Research, Innovation & Enterprise in the Faculty of Health, Environment & Medical Sciences.  This was followed by  short presentations from various contributors to the book.   Prof. Hundley highlighted about the book: “The early phase of labour is an area of tension for women, midwives and other healthcare professionals. Current services often fail women, putting the onus on them to decide when to come into hospital and then sending them home ‘not in labour’, creating a revolving door that can lead to anxiety, stress, fear and negative communication between women and midwives. This book explores why this happens and the challenges that it places on women and the midwives that care for them. It works to define what “early labour” is and teases out some of the issues that definitions of the early phase of labour raise for both woman-centred care and the management of services. Presenting innovative approaches to practice in this contested area, this book includes vignettes from women exploring their experiences of the early phase of labour in different models of care. Key point summaries and boxed recommendations for practice help readers transfer their learning to practice.”

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

New chapters published in maternity book on risk

international, PG research, Publishing, Women's Academic Network, writing

A few days ago Palgrave Macmillen published Risk and Uncertainty in Maternity Care: Putting Risk in Its Place.  This edited book examines the way risk is defined and employed in maternity care across the world.  The 25 chapters reflect in different ways on how the management of risk shapes the organization and experience of maternity services. Drawing from investigations of the way risk operates in contemporary society, the authors challenge taken-for-granted understandings of risk in maternity care and early parenting, showing how risk is not simply a value-free assessment of potential harms but is, in fact, a complex social and political way of seeing, knowing about, and performing pregnancy and birth.

This edited volume contains two chapters which have co-authors associated with BU.  Chapter 15 ‘Communicating Maternity Risks Using Social Media in England and Australia‘ is written by Sheena Byrom, Mandie Scamell, Hannah Dahlen, Joanne Rack.  This chapter addresses childbirth in the digital age. Over the last two decades, social media—a group of internet-based applications that facilitate the development and sharing of information—revolutionised the way we connect and communicate. These new media are now an ever-present part of our daily lives. The authors explore how social media shapes the way risk is understood by all of those involved in pregnancy, labour, and birth.Sheena Byrom holds an honourary doctorate from Bournemouth University, and Joanne Rack is doing her for-year Clinical Doctorate in the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH) specialising in personalised care for women of advanced maternal age. This PhD study is matched-funded by University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) NHS Foundation Trust and Bournemouth University.

Whilst chapter 16 From Uncertainty to Risk: How Mass Media in the UK and the US Generate Fear of Childbirth is co-authored by professors Hundley and van Teijlingen who are co-leads of the CMWH.  This chapter addresses the growing intolerance for the uncertainties associated with childbirth. While research has yet to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between media representations of pregnancy and birth and societal views of the childbirth experience, analysis of mass media accounts of childbirth can help explain why those involved in childbirth—maternity service users and providers alike—increasingly define birth as a site of risk. Existing studies of the representation of birth in mass media allow us to examine how the complex interaction between media, culture, and birth amplifies perceptions of risk. The authors illustrate the ways mass media influence, not just attitudes towards birth, but the way birth is managed.

 

References:

  1. Byrom, S., Scamell, M., Dahlen, H., Rack, J. (2026)  Communicating Maternity Risks Using Social Media in England and Australia [Chapter 15], In: Scamell, M., De Vries, R, Coxon, K. (eds) Critical Studies of Risk and Uncertainty in Maternity Care : Perspectives from Australia, Europe, and the United States, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 309-326.
  2. van Teijlingen, E., Hundley, V., De Vries R. (2026) From uncertainty to risk: how mass media in the UK and the US generate fear of childbirth [Chapter 16], In: Scamell, M., De Vries, R, Coxon, K. (eds) Critical Studies of Risk and Uncertainty in Maternity Care : Perspectives from Australia, Europe, and the United States, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 327-346.

New BU Physiology paper

BRIAN, PG research, writing

Congratulations to HEMS’s Dr. Malika Felton, Dr. Vikram Mohan and Prof. Vanora Hundley on the recent publication of their academic paper ‘Acute cardiovascular responses to slow and deep breathing in normotensive men and women‘ [1].  The BU authors outline that there differences in cardiovascular responses to different methods of slow and deep breathing (SDB) delivery.  They query whether utilising a multi-parametric approach to measuring cardiovascular variables reveal new/different responses.  Their key findings are that all SDB conditions elicited similar cardiovascular responses to each other when compared with spontaneous breathing. However, lower breathing frequencies elicit greater blood pressure oscillations, and higher breathing frequencies (∼8 breaths min−1) may not fully optimise cardiovascular responses. This has implications on the practice of SDB for management of hypertension.

Well done!

Prof.Edwin van Teijlingen

Reference:

  1. Felton, M., Mohan, V., & Hundley, V. A. (2026). Acute cardiovascular responses to slow and deep breathing in normotensive men and women. Experimental Physiology, 01–24. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP093086

Four BU students at national midwifery conference

conferences, PG research, Women's Academic Network

This week four postgraduate midwifery students from Bournemouth University attended the Royal College of Midwives annual Education & Research conference in London.  Their contributions included studies on: (1) ‘A Unique Approach to Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy’ by Ph.D. student Louise Barton; (2) Investigating how women make decisions about prescribed psychiatric medication use during pregnancy by M.Res. student Jessica Correia; (3) Harnessing midwives’ research delivery expertise to encourage medics’ participation in research’ by M.Res. student Susara Blunden; and (4) ‘Personalised care for women of advanced maternal age, from conception to postnatal care: A mixed-methods study’ by Ph.D. student Joanne Rack. Joanne was also at this conference in her capacity of the newly appointed Editor-in-Chief of The Practising Midwife. 

Congratulations to these postgraduate students and their supervisors.

Profs. Vanora Hundley & Edwin van Teijlingen

 

Prof Marahatta promoting BU-Nepal collaboration

international, Publishing, writing

On Monday 9th March Prof. Sujan Marahatta visited Bournmouth University (BU) to speak about ‘Strengthening BU-Nepal collaboration AND Nepal’s experience of competency-based health professional education’.  Prof. Marahatta is the Director of the Medical Education Commission in Nepal overseeing the education of health professionals in 15 areas including Medicine, Physiotherapy, Nursing and Midwifery. He spoke about long partnership between Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (MMIHS) and BU.  This partnership is formalised in a Memoradum of Agreement (MoA) and over the years it has included joint research projects, staff-student exchanges (funded by ERASMUS+ and Turing scheme) and offering guest lectures at each others institutions.

One of the jointly conducted studies which Prof. Marahatta highlighted was the work on CPD (Continuous Professional Development) in nursing and midwifery in Nepal.  Research on CPD started a decade ago and culminated in several papers [1-4]. The research was combined with sustained advocacy and stakeholder engagement, and resulted in the Nepal Nursing Council (NNC) formally introduced mandatory CPD as a requirement for nursing and midwifery re-registration earlier this year (15 January 2026).  The National Guideline on Continuing Nursing and Midwifery Education (CNME) CPD for Nurses and Midwives refer to our work conducted by academics based at Bournemouth University.  This is the foundation for one of BU’s REF Impact Case Studies for 2029.

Amongst other studies, Prof. Marahatta also highlighted a recent publication which was  jointly authored between BU’s professors Clark and Hundley and himself on pain catastrophising in nulliparous women in Nepal, the importance for childbirth [5].  Prof. Marahatta’s  visit was held in the Faculty of Health, Environment & Medical Sciences (HEMS) in the Bournemouth Gateway Building.

References:

  1. Simkhada B, Mackay S, Khatri R, Sharma CK., Pokhrel T, Marahatta SB., Angell C, van Teijlingen E, Simkhada P. (2016) Continual Professional Development (CPD): Improving Health Prospect15 (3):1-3.
  2. Khatri, RJ, van Teijlingen, E, Marahatta, SB, Simkhada, P, Mackay, S and Simkhada, B. Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development for Nurses: A Qualitative Study with Senior Nurse Leaders in Nepal. Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences. 2021 7(1):15-29. 
  3. Simkhada B, van Teijlingen E, Pandey A, Sharma CK, Simkhada P, Singh DR (2023) Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Continuing Professional Development among Nepalese Nurses: A Focus Group Study Nursing Open.10(5).
  4. Simkhada B, van Teijlingen E, Sharma C, Pandey A, Simkhada P. (2023) Nepal needs Continuing Professional Development for Re-registration in Nursing and Midwifery Journal of Nepal Health Research Council, 21(60):541-42.
  5. Clark CJ, Marahatta SB, Hundley VA. (2024) The prevalence of pain catastrophising in nulliparous women in Nepal; the importance for childbirth. PLoS ONE 19(8): e0308129. https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308129.

BU PhD student newly appointed journal editor

Women's Academic Network, writing

Congratulations to Joanne Rack, PhD student (Clinical Doctorate) in the Faculty of Health , Environment & Medical Sciences (HEMS) who has been appointed this month as the new Editor in Chief of The Practising Midwife.  Joanne is doing her Clinical Doctorate in the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH) specialising in personalised care for women of advanced maternal age (AMA).  This PhD study is matched-funded by University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) NHS Foundation Trust and Bournemouth University.  Her PhD is supervised and supported by Profs. Vanora Hundley and Edwin van Teijlingen at BU and former BU Professor Ann Luce (who has recently moved to the University of the West of Scotland) and Dr. Latha Vinayakarao in Bournemouth Maternity Hospital.

Well done!

Prof. Vanora Hundley & Edwin van Teijlingen

New paper by CMWH PhD student

PG research

Congratulations to Joanne Rack, whose paper ‘Developing a Canadian midwifery research priority framework: a Delphi consensus study‘ [1] was published earlier this month.   Joanne is currently doing her Clinical Doctorate in the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH) focusing on personalised care for women of advanced maternal age.  Her doctoral study is matched-funded by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust and Bournemouth University [BU].  Her PhD is supervised and supported by Profs. Vanora Hundley and Edwin van Teijlingen in CMWH with support from Prof. Ann Luce at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and Dr. Latha Vinayakarao at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD).  Last year Joanne published the first paper from her PhD work [2].

 

Prof. Vanora Hundely & Edwin van Teijlingen

Reference:

  1. Murray-Davis, B., Ruby, E., Rack, J. et al. Developing a Canadian midwifery research priority framework: a Delphi consensus study. Health Res Policy Sys 23, 126 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-025-01401-0
  2. Rack, J., Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E., Luce, A., Vinayakarao. L. (2024) Understanding perceptions and communication of risk in advanced maternal age: a scoping review (protocol) on women’s engagement with health care services, MIDIRS Midwifery Digest, 34(3): 201-204.

Early labour research accepted for ICM 2026 congress

conferences, international, Women's Academic Network

The ICM, the International Confederation of Midwives, holds its congress every three years, and the next one will be in Portugal in summer 2026.  Dr. Dominique Mylod had her abstract accepted with the title ‘Supporting women in early labour: An interdisciplinary, digital approach’, whilst Prof. Vanora Hundley’s ‘Can we identify women who will need additional support in the early (latent) phase of labour?’ abstract was also accepted.  Both Dr. Mylod and Prof. Hundley are based in the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH) in the Faculty of Health, Environment & Medical Science.

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMWH well represented at International Labour and Birth Conference

The Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health was well represented at last week’s International Labour and Birth Conference with presentations from Sara Stride, Dominique Mylod, and Vanora Hundley.

Sara StrideSara was presenting her doctoral work where she has used appreciative inquiry to explore midwives’ experience and processing following the occurrence of Obstetric Anal Sphincter injury (OASI) during spontaneous vaginal birth. Sara said that she found the conference and networking opportunities “inspiring and helpful for her PhD.”

Dominique and Vanora brought their prototype app, which has been designed to support women in the early phase of labour. This was well received by attendees and the next step is to evaluate its implementation into practice.Dom and Vanora

Dominique’s attendance at ILB Conference 2025 was supported by an award from the Science of Birth Research Cluster, University of British Columbia.

Megan Perkin’s work exploring breastfeeding experiences of women with visual impairment was presented as a poster. Unfortunately Megan was not able  to attend due to her clinical commitments, but Vanora was on hand to answer any questions.

 

New BU midwifery publication

NHS, open access, Publishing, Women's Academic Network, writing

Congratulations to Laura Stedman in the Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health (CMWH) on the publication of a new paper in the international academic journal Midwifery.  This new paper ‘Then they’re not there. Women’s experiences following admission of their newborn to a neonatal intensive care unit‘ [1], has been co-authored with two fellow midwives: Associate Prof. Catherine Angell and Prof. Vanora Hundley.

The paper reports an online study into the experiences of UK women been diagnosed with Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) whose baby was admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at or shortly after birth. The qualitative analysis identified two themes: ‘experience’ and ‘understanding’; the former had five sun-themes and the latter was based on three sub-themes. A lack of understanding and knowledge was identified, with calls for enhanced education and joint decision making. Women recalled feelings of grief, isolation and stress as a result of the admission. For many, this experience was traumatic with lasting effects. For babies born at term, feelings of surprise and separation were paramount, in contrast to those born pre-term.  The authors concluded that there is need for more education and improved material to support for those facing this outcome. Future research should also focus on reducing the incidence of admission to NICU for women who have received a diagnosis of GDM.

Well done!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Reference:
  1. Stedman, L., Angell, C., Hundley, V. (2025) Then they’re not there. Women’s experiences following admission of their newborn to a neonatal intensive care unit, Midwifery [online first]

Digital Health and AI: Paving the Way for Health Equity in Maternal and Infant Care

The long awaited 10-year health plan for England emphasises the use of digital technologies and the aspiration to “make the NHS the most AI-enabled health system in the world”. This requires expertise in artificial intelligence and data science, but interdisciplinary collaboration is also essential if we are to make this a reality.

The Maternal and Infant Health Equity Research Centre (MIHERC) aims to do this by bringing together experts in maternal health, behavioural science, AI and digital health to help drive innovative solutions through co-production and real partnership, ensuring better outcomes for all women and babies. MIHERC is led by Professor Hora Soltani at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) in collaboration with key partners including Bournemouth University (BU), the City of Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub.

Alongside Professor Vanora Hundley, who has been appointed as a Capacity Training and Development Lead, Professor Huseyin Dogan and Prof Alessandro Di Nuovo from MIHERC will be co-leading the cross-cutting workstream titled “digital, data, monitoring, evaluation and implementation science” as part of the NIHR Maternity Disparities consortium. This workstreams aims

– to identify and test trusted, reliable AI technologies for deployment by the NHS to help reduce disparities;

– to develop and refine equity monitoring, real-world evaluation and implementation science methods for use in maternity disparities research, with a focus on enhancing their robustness and practical application;

– to embed advanced analytic and digital tools and implementation frameworks into maternity disparities research to improve the rigor and impact of studies on equity; and

– to build a community of practice within and external to consortium to develop analytical, methodological, and implementation science capacity.

The BU key academics are: Huseyin Dogan, Vanora Hundley, Edwin van Teijlingen, and Deniz Çetinkaya. Please do get in touch with the MIHERC team for further information.