A Jurisprudential Explanation of Natural Childbirth: Examining the Boundaries of Unnecessary Intervention in Modern Midwifery
Medical Figh,
Vol. 17 No. 47 (1404),
5 April 2025
,
Page 1-13
https://doi.org/10.22037/mfj.v17i47.52613
Abstract
Background and Aim: Physiological childbirth refers to delivery in which no pharmacological or medical intervention is performed. This approach denotes spontaneous childbirth, the absence of medical interventions and medication use, freedom of movement, and the mother's active participation in the birthing process. From the perspective of medical science, childbirth as a physiological process involves complex hormonal, neural, and psychological mechanisms that, in the absence of unnecessary intervention, yield more favorable outcomes for the health of both mother and newborn. In this regard, Islamic jurisprudential sources likewise regard childbirth as a biological process possessing moral and spiritual values, and their recommendation to accept it as the authentic form of human birth is significant.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using a descriptive–analytical approach and comparative analysis of data gathered from Islamic jurisprudential sources and authoritative midwifery texts. Accordingly, the process of physiological, intervention-free childbirth was examined from a medical–midwifery perspective, and the relevant jurisprudential documents were analyzed.
Conclusion: A review of religious texts, jurisprudential sources, and scientific research in the field of midwifery indicates that a significant portion of the medical, psychiatric, and physiological rationales for avoiding obstetric intervention in unnecessary cases is consistent with the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. Given the growing problem of increased obstetric interventions, providing information to mothers and offering them the necessary support for informed decision-making regarding the choice of physiological childbirth will contribute to improving reproductive health in Iran. The Islamic cultural context of Iranian women, together with the theoretical synergy between Islamic jurisprudence and modern midwifery, can prove effective in reforming childbirth patterns and promoting low-intervention approaches, and can achieve results by drawing on the religious essence of women and families.
- Physiological Childbirth
- Modern Midwifery
- Islamic Jurisprudence
How to Cite
References
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