Social Determinants of Perinatal Health: Perspectives on the Role of Midwifery

There exists an abundance of literature that connects adverse perinatal outcomes to certain social and structural determinants of health. Midwives, like many other community-based primary healthcare providers, are often aware of various social determinants of health (SDH). Ontario midwives champion continuity of care and building trusting relationships with clients as significant aspects of their philosophy of care. Some midwives are committed to working with vulnerable populations in their communities and believe that midwifery’s model places the profession in a unique position to offer personalized and comprehensive care to those in marginalized social locations, with the goal of producing the best health outcomes for women and newborns. This original qualitative research paper aims to explore if there exists a lack of knowledge or understanding among Ontario midwives regarding SDH and how they produce inequitable health outcomes; what epistemological barriers midwives may experience regarding health inequities; and what role (if any) midwives believe they have in addressing the issues faced by marginalized clients to mitigate adverse health outcomes.