Supervision: a 'fresh eyes' approach.

As recent reports question the safety of some maternity services and of the accuracy of identifying risk factors in midwifery practice, this article advocates the use of 'fresh eyes' reviews of our own practice, that of our peers and the practice within our organisations. If, as the literature indicates, there is no evidence of sustained transformational change through compliance as opposed to commitment, then our engagement and motivation to adopt 'fresh eyes' approaches to our practice, may lead to improved patient outcomes, including rates of mortality.

Motherhood and mental illness.

There is limited published data on the prevalence of motherhood and mental health problems. Carol Bates and Carol Paeglis outline the findings of a report on a 34-year-old Asian psychiatrist who killed herself and her three-month-old daughter. The report considers this tragedy was preventable. It highlights that mothers are more at risk of dying from suicide during a relapse of mental illness than from any other medical problem. There is a need for greater awareness among midwives and mothers of the risks of mental illness in order to provide adequate safeguards for mothers and babies.