ABC of labour care: Physiology and management of normal labour

This article by Philip Steer and Caroline Flint (20 March, pp 793-6) shows photographs of delivery positions (p 796) in which the birthing attendants’ personal protective equipment is limited to gloves. However, the Department of Health’s guidelines and royal colleges’ recommendations make it clear that personal protection for the attendant’s exposed areas (such as face, eyes, and forearms) should always be adopted, not just on a selective basis.