"Beyond Survival: Advancing Respectful and Humanized Birth Practices Through a Global Nursing Lens"

Abstract: Childbirth is a profound life event that encompasses not only physiological processes but also emotional, psychological, cultural, and social dimensions. Despite significant global advances in maternal and neonatal healthcare, many women continue to experience disrespect, abuse, and dehumanization during childbirth within health facilities. These experiences undermine women’s dignity, autonomy, and human rights and negatively influence maternal and neonatal outcomes. Respectful and humanized birth practices have emerged globally as essential frameworks for improving the quality of maternity care by emphasizing woman-centeredness, informed choice, emotional support, cultural sensitivity, and evidence-based clinical practices. Nurses and midwives play a pivotal role in implementing and sustaining respectful maternity care due to their continuous presence during labor and birth and their advocacy responsibilities. This review article critically examines the concept, principles, global perspectives, and ethical foundations of respectful and humanized birth practices, highlighting the central role of nursing professionals. The article explores barriers and facilitators to implementation across diverse healthcare settings, discusses the impact of humanized birth on maternal and neonatal outcomes, and underscores policy and educational implications. By integrating global evidence and nursing perspectives, this review emphasizes the necessity of transforming maternity services from a purely biomedical model to a holistic, rights-based, and compassionate approach to childbirth.