The 18th German Midwifery Congress took place in Münster from May 5 to 7, 2025. With around 1,800 midwives on site and a further 800 digitally connected participants, the event provided an impressive setting for an exchange on current topics relating to obstetrics, midwifery science and professional policy. The event offered a diverse program of lectures, workshops and symposia on clinical, non-clinical and socio-political aspects of midwifery.
The Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (HWG LU) was also represented by a dedicated delegation and presented exciting research and practical contributions.
Miriam Beller, course coordinator and practice supervisor at the HWG LU, presented her work on the "Initial care of the depressed mature newborn on the intact umbilical cord" in the specialist forum. In her systematic literature review, she examined the effects of so-called "Intact Cord Resuscitation" (ICR). The results show that initial care on the intact umbilical cord can significantly improve the vital parameters of newborns and potentially prevent brain damage. Her presentation highlighted the relevance of this method for both clinical and non-clinical obstetrics and stimulated discussion about the necessary organizational adjustments in obstetrics.
Léa Shah, a graduate of the Bachelor of Midwifery program, presented a poster entitled "Climate Change and Intimate Partner Violence. What impact do periods of heat and drought have on the prevalence of IPV against women?" Her work looked at the intersection of climate crisis and gender-based violence and showed that heatwaves in particular could increase the prevalence of intimate partner violence. These findings underline the need to give greater consideration to global developments such as climate change in the training of midwives.
Dr. Rosemarie Horcher-Metzger devoted her presentation to a particularly sensitive topic: child protection. Under the title "Dealing well with a bad gut feeling. More confidence in child protection", she provided participants with practical approaches on how midwives can safely recognize child welfare risks and act appropriately.
Another highlight was the symposium on Advanced Practice Midwifery (APM), which was organized by Prof. Michaela Michel-Schuldt PhD, Prof. Dr. Joachim von der Heide and Olivia Märkl, graduate of the Master's degree course "Innovative Care Practice in Nursing and Midwifery". The symposium provided impetus for the further development of the midwifery profession in Germany. Prof. Michel-Schuldt PhD highlighted the international perspective and described the status of the implementation of APM in Germany, while Prof. Dr. von der Heide pointed out the parallels to Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) in nursing. Olivia Märkl presented the results of a Delphi study that examined the potential and prospects for implementing APM in Germany. Discussions were held with the participation of midwives Prof. Dr. Friederike zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, a former member of the Science Council, and Linda Rietschel, an Advanced Practice Midwife at Münster University Hospital. The symposium made it clear that a sustainable improvement in obstetric care practice requires not only legal adjustments but also interdisciplinary cooperation, greater integration of evidence-based practice into midwifery work and continued degree programs that prepare midwives and nurses for extended and in-depth practice.
The Midwifery Congress followed on from the 2nd HEBA-PÄD at the University of Münster. The HEBA-PÄD is a specialist conference for midwifery education in German-speaking countries, which promotes the exchange of information on education, research and practice in midwifery education. Cordula Fischer was involved in the organization of the event and Prof. Michaela Michel-Schuldt PhD, together with Silvia Ammann-Fiechter from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, gave a presentation on intercultural learning of midwifery students in the International Student Midwives Network.
The delegation's participation was financially supported by the university's internal funding, particularly for the scientific contributions.
With its presence in Münster, the HWG LU has once again shown how strongly it is committed to the scientific foundation and further development of midwifery and nursing and is providing important impetus for the future of midwifery, professional development and early support.
Contact:
Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society
Department of Social and Health Care
Prof. Michaela Michel-Schuldt PhD
Professorship of Midwifery
E-mail: michaela.michel-schuldt@ 8< SPAM protection, please remove >8 hwg-lu.de
