Canada's obstetricians call for a national birthing strategy

Canada is facing a crisis in obstetric care because more women are dying in childbirth and the country's position relative to other countries for infant and perinatal mortality has fallen, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada says.

The country must address shortages in maternity care staff and investigate ways to provide optimal care of mothers and newborns to achieve better outcomes, the society says.

Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development show that in 1990 Canada was one of the world's safest places to give birth, ranking sixth on …