Abstract
The number of obese, childbearing women is growing and causing great
concerns in midwifery. Delivery via caesarean section entails the risk of
developing a wound infection, or wound dehiscence. While it is essential
to ensure that the care provided to women and their babies is safe,
effective, individualized and based on up-to-date evidence, this may not
always be the case and midwives may lack experience and appropriate
training in managing these wounds. In this article, the current evidence
on the impact of obesity on wound care management will be considered,
along with the advice midwives should give to women after a caesarean
section. The physiology of wound healing will be considered as well as
the need to assess the caesarean section incision correctly by examining
its appearance. Factors that affect wound healing in the obese woman
and how these impact on the wound care management and advice
offered by midwives will be discussed. Recommendations for midwifery
practice are made throughout and include suggestions on raising
awareness among staff on the impact that obesity has on wound care
management and advice through training.