Neonatal Support for Freestanding MLU and Home Births

This document is an updated version of ‘Neonatal Support for Stand Alone Midwifery Led Units (MLUs): A Framework for Practice (2011)’.

This document refers specifically to the provision of neonatal support for births within settings that are not co-located with obstetric services and where there is no immediate access to neonatal or paediatric staff.

It is intended as a framework to inform development of local, regional and network guidelines for the rare instances where additional support for the baby is required. It does not deal with midwifery-led units that are located within or alongside consultant obstetric units and does not cover in detail midwifery care for mothers.