Reviews of Evidence

NCT reviews of evidence are published in the quarterly journal, New Digest. The journal is distributed to NCT specialist workers and contributes to their continuous professional development, and to NCT-registered maternity services representatives to inform their local lobbying and engagement with maternity services planning and monitoring.

In addition, a range of health professional bodies subscribe to New Digest, including commissioners and providers of maternity care. The reviews of evidence inform their practice.

Reviews of evidence are available in the following categories:

• Pregnancy and birth
• Baby feeding
• Transition to parenthood

These articles were all originally published in New Digest, NCT's continuing professional development journal for antenatal teachers, breastfeeding counsellors, postnatal leaders, maternity services representatives and research networkers. The first articles, starting in 2001, formed a series of 'evidence-based briefings' on clinical interventions relating to the management of labour and birth. Several of the articles are formal reviews of evidence, including the review of the safety of home birth by Gyte and Dodwell. Others are broader overviews of research evidence on a given maternity care or parenting subject.