New Childbirth Checklist Improves Delivery Safety
The WHO tool prompts providers to track essential safety practices during labor to help reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Pregnancy
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has established the Safe Childbirth Checklist to help clinical teams reduce preventable deaths during the 130 million births that occur globally each year. This bedside tool prompts health workers to verify 29 essential safety practices at four critical moments during labor and delivery.
Why it matters
Poor quality of care contributes significantly to global maternal and newborn mortality, with over 300,000 mothers, 2.6 million stillbirths, and 2.7 million newborn deaths occurring annually. Implementing standardized checklists aims to bridge the gap between evidence-based guidelines and clinical practice to ensure safer delivery outcomes.
Field testing in Karnataka State, India, demonstrated an increase in adherence to recommended practices from 10 to 25 out of 29 total practices. The impact of this checklist on mortality outcomes is currently being evaluated in larger randomized controlled trials.
The players
World Health Organization
A specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health and the development of global clinical standards.
The details
The checklist acts as a clinical aid to improve adherence to established medical guidelines for managing labor and birth. Health workers use the tool at four specific pause points: upon admission, before pushing, within one hour after birth, and before discharge. By synthesizing complex care protocols into this bedside tool, the checklist helps providers consistently address major causes of mortality such as hemorrhage, infection, preeclampsia, and asphyxia.
Timeline
2012-2015: Thirty-four groups from 29 countries participated in the initial checklist collaboration.
2016-2030: Global Sustainable Development Goals aim to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
2017: Projected completion of the BetterBirth randomized controlled trial in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Health Landscape
The Safe Childbirth Checklist represents a broader shift toward integrating standardized safety protocols into routine obstetric care. This initiative aligns with global efforts to improve health facility quality of care to meet international maternal and newborn survival targets.
If you are planning a delivery, you may want to ask your healthcare provider if they use standardized safety checklists during labor and postpartum care. These tools are designed to ensure consistency in care for critical issues like preeclampsia and postpartum hemorrhage.
The takeaway
Standardized care protocols are vital for reducing risks during childbirth by ensuring no critical step in the delivery process is overlooked. Patients should feel empowered to discuss the safety protocols utilized at their chosen birth facility with their obstetrical team.
What happens next
The BetterBirth randomized controlled trial in Uttar Pradesh, India, is scheduled for completion in 2017.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest clinical guidelines for safe delivery in our Pregnancy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Who.
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