Preterm birth is a significant cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity, with a devastating impact on families. This essential guide introduces the knowledge that midwives require for practice, drawing together the most up-to-date research and identifying care pathways.

Preterm Birth: A Handbook for Midwives presents the latest evidence, discussing the causes and consequences of preterm birth. It describes what preterm birth is, explores the risk factors and causes, explains monitoring methods and presents interventions for reducing the risk of preterm birth itself as well as interventions for managing its consequences. Women’s voices are heard throughout as they describe their experiences in their own words, and each substantive chapter includes recommendations for practice.

Compact and accessible, this practical guide is an indispensable handbook, enabling students and qualified midwives to care confidently for women at risk of preterm birth.

Naomi Carlisle is a midwifery lecturer at King’s College London, UK. She recently defended her PhD thesis regarding implementation of the preterm birth pathway in England, and has previously worked clinically in the Preterm Birth Surveillance Clinic at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK.

Jenny Carter is a midwife and Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London and the Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research. Her PhD thesis focused on risk assessment in threatened preterm labour and development of the QUiPP app. She is a founder member of the UK Preterm Clinical Network, and she also works clinically in the Preterm Surveillance Clinic at St Thomas’ Hospital.