Rachel Rowe

Associate Professor and Senior Health Services Researcher rachel.rowe@npeu.ox.ac.uk

Biography

Rachel is a Senior Health Services Researcher in the NPEU; her research interests include intrapartum care, the organisation of maternity care and women's experience of care, with a particular focus on midwifery-led settings. Her DPhil on transfer from midwifery unit to obstetric unit during labour was funded by a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Researcher Development Award, and carried out alongside the Birthplace prospective cohort study, which evaluated the safety of birth in different settings. After receiving her doctorate she managed a programme of further analyses of the Birthplace data and Listening to Parents, a national survey of the maternity care experience of women who have had a stillborn baby or a baby who has died as a newborn.

Funded by an NIHR Post Doctoral Fellowship from 2015-18, Rachel set up and now leads the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS), a national research infrastructure for carrying out observational studies and surveys of practice in midwifery units. She is a co-investigator for the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care and Chief Investigator for Listen2Baby, a three year NIHR-funded study aiming to improve the way that midwives monitor fetal wellbeing during labour.

Publications

2024

Bevan C, Alderdice F, Darby S, Gilzean-Hughes S, McLeish J, Mulla S, Plachcinski R, Wilkinson S, Williams H, Rowe R. 'The Listening Series': increasing equity, diversity and inclusion in patient and public involvement and engagement for policy research by listening to and learning from under-represented groups. Res Involv Engagem. 2024;10(1):71.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38965636/
Latt SM, Opondo C, Alderdice F, Kurinczuk JJ, Rowe R. Postpartum haemorrhage and risk of cardiovascular disease in later life: A population-based record linkage cohort study. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2024;10.1111/1471-0528.17896.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38946538/
MacLellan J, Ade M, Fitzsimons B, Kenyon S, Mulla S, Pope C, Sanders J, Rowe R. Women’s experiences of intermittent auscultation fetal monitoring in labour: A qualitative study. Women and Birth. 2024;37(6):101805.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871519224002658
Spil NA, van Nieuwenhuizen KE, Rowe R, Thornton JG, Murphy E, Verheijen E, Shelton CL, Heazell AEP. The carbon footprint of different modes of birth in the UK and the Netherlands: An exploratory study using life cycle assessment. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2024;131(5):568-78.
https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1471-0528.17771
Whyte I, Morelli A, Burns E, Rowe R. Postnatal care provided by UK midwifery units and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey using the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS). Heliyon. 2024;10(9):e29878.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38707446/

2023

Declercq E, Wolterink A, Rowe R, de Jonge A, De Vries R, Nieuwenhuijze M, Verhoeven C, Shah N. The natural pattern of birth timing and gestational age in the U.S. compared to England, and the Netherlands. PLOS ONE. 2023;18(1):e0278856.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36652413/
Elkington M, Kurinczuk JJ, Pasupathy D, Plachcinski R, Rogers J, Williams C, Rowe R. Postpartum haemorrhage occurring in UK midwifery units: A national population-based case-control study to investigate incidence, risk factors and outcomes. PLoS One. 2023;18(10):e0291795.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37796876/
Latt SM, Alderdice F, Elkington M, Awng Shar M, Kurinczuk JJ, Rowe R. Primary postpartum haemorrhage and longer-term physical, psychological, and psychosocial health outcomes for women and their partners in high income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review. PLOS ONE. 2023;18(6):e0274041.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37315027/
Morelli A, Rogers J, Sanders J, Kurinczuk JJ, Rowe R. Outcomes for women admitted for labour care to alongside midwifery units in the UK following a postpartum haemorrhage in a previous pregnancy: A national population-based cohort and nested case-control study using the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS). Women Birth. 2023;36(3):e361-e8.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36376224/

2022

Brigante L, Morelli A, Jokinen M, Plachcinski R, Rowe R. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on midwifery-led service provision in the United Kingdom in 2020-21: Findings of three national surveys. Midwifery. 2022;112:103390.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35709677/
Meroz MR, Yu L-M, Sanders J, Rowe R. Preparedness for maternal and neonatal emergencies in UK midwifery units: a national survey using the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS). Midwifery. 2022;110:103336.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35439651/
Ramos-Goñi JM, Estévez-Carrillo A, Rivero-Arias O, Rowen D, Mott D, Shah K, Oppe M. Does Changing the Age of a Child to be Considered in 3-Level Version of EQ-5D-Y Discrete Choice Experiment-Based Valuation Studies Affect Health Preferences? Value Health. 2022;10.1016/j.jval.2022.03.001.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35379562/

2021

Powell PA, Rowen D, Rivero-Arias O, Tsuchiya A, Brazier JE. Valuing child and adolescent health: a qualitative study on different perspectives and priorities taken by the adult general public. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 2021;19(1):222.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-021-01858-x
Rowe R, Draper ES, Kenyon S, Bevan C, Dickens J, Forrester M, Scanlan R, Tuffnell D, Kurinczuk JJ. Authors' reply re: Intrapartum-related perinatal deaths in births planned in midwifery-led settings in Great Britain: findings and recommendations from the ESMiE confidential enquiry. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2021;10.1111/1471-0528.16761.
https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.16761?af=R

2020

Glenister C, Burns E, Rowe R. Local guidelines for admission to UK midwifery units compared with national guidance: A national survey using the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS). PLOS ONE. 2020;15(10):e0239311.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239311
Rowe R, Draper ES, Kenyon S, Bevan C, Dickens J, Forrester M, Scanlan R, Tuffnell D, Kurinczuk JJ. Intrapartum-related perinatal deaths in births planned in midwifery-led settings in Great Britain: findings and recommendations from the ESMiE confidential enquiry. BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology. 2020;127(13):1665-75.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32437088/
Rowe R, Soe A, Knight M, Kurinczuk JJ. Neonatal admission and mortality in babies born in UK alongside midwifery units: a national population-based case-control study using the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS). Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2020;106(2):194-203.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33127735/
Rowen D, Rivero-Arias O, Devlin N, Ratcliffe J. Review of Valuation Methods of Preference-Based Measures of Health for Economic Evaluation in Child and Adolescent Populations: Where are We Now and Where are We Going? PharmacoEconomics. 2020;38(4):325-40.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40273-019-00873-7

2019

Fletcher BR, Rowe R, Hollowell J, Scanlon M, Hinton L, Rivero-Arias O. Exploring women’s preferences for birth settings in England: A discrete choice experiment. PLOS ONE. 2019;14(4):e0215098.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215098
Oliver S, Uhm S, Duley L, Crowe S, David AL, James CP, Chivers Z, Gyte G, Gale C, Turner M, Chambers B, Dowling I, McNeill J, Alderdice F, Shennan A, Deshpande S. Top research priorities for preterm birth: results of a prioritisation partnership between people affected by preterm birth and healthcare professionals. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2019;19(1):528.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-2654-3
Yokoe R, Rowe R, Choudhury SS, Rani A, Zahir F, Nair M. Unsafe abortion and abortion-related death among 1.8 million women in India. BMJ Global Health. 2019;4(3):e001491.
http://gh.bmj.com/content/4/3/e001491.abstract

2018

Hinton L, Dumelow C, Rowe R, Hollowell J. Birthplace choices: what are the information needs of women when choosing where to give birth in England? A qualitative study using online and face to face focus groups. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. [journal article]. 2018;18(1):12.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-017-1601-4
Rowe R, Knight M, Kurinczuk JJ, on behalf of the U.K. Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS). Outcomes for women with BMI>35kg/m2 admitted for labour care to alongside midwifery units in the UK: A national prospective cohort study using the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS). PLOS ONE. 2018;13(12):e0208041.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208041

2017

Coxon K, Chisholm A, Malouf R, Rowe R, Hollowell J. What influences birth place preferences, choices and decision-making amongst healthy women with straightforward pregnancies in the UK? A qualitative evidence synthesis using a ‘best fit’ framework approach. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. [journal article]. 2017;17(1):103.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28359258

2016

Rowe R, Kurinczuk JJ, Hollowell J, Jokinen M, Knight M. The UK Midwifery System (UKMidSS): a programme of work to establish a research infrastructure to carry out national studies of uncommon conditions and events in midwifery units. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2016;16(1):77.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27080858

2015

Li Y, Townend J, Rowe R, Brocklehurst P, Knight M, Linsell L, Macfarlane A, McCourt C, Newburn M, Marlow N, Pasupathy D, Redshaw M, Sandall J, Silverton L, Hollowell J. Perinatal and maternal outcomes in planned home and obstetric unit births in women at 'higher risk' of complications: secondary analysis of the Birthplace national prospective cohort study. BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology. 2015;122(5):741-53.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25603762
Rowe R, Jokinen M. UKMidSS: Engaging in Research. Midwives 2015;18(4):47.
Rowe R, Kurinczuk JJ, Hollowell J, Jokinen M, Knight M, on behalf of UKMidSS. The UK Midwifery Study System: Investigating uncommon events and conditions in midwifery-led settings. British Journal of Midwifery. 2015;23(11):823-4.
http://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/bjom.2015.23.11.823
Rowe R, Li Y, Knight M, Brocklehurst P, Hollowell J. Maternal and perinatal outcomes in women planning vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) at home in England: secondary analysis of the Birthplace national prospective cohort study. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2015;123(7):1123-32.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26213223
Hollowell J, Rowe R, Townend J, Knight M, Li Y, Linsell L, Redshaw M, Brocklehurst P, Macfarlane A, Marlow N, McCourt C, Newburn M, Sandall J, Silvert. The Birthplace in England national prospective cohort study: further analyses to enhance policy and service delivery decision-making for planned place of birth. 2015 Contract No.: 36.
http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hsdr/volume-3/issue-36#abstract

2014

Hollowell J, Pillas D, Rowe R, Linsell L, Knight M, Brocklehurst P. The impact of maternal obesity on intrapartum outcomes in otherwise low risk women: secondary analysis of the Birthplace national prospective cohort study. Br Journal Obstet Gynaecol. 2014;121(3):343-55.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24034832
Li Y, Townend J, Rowe R, Knight M, Brocklehurst P, Hollowell J. The effect of maternal age and planned place of birth on intrapartum outcomes in healthy women with straightforward pregnancies: secondary analysis of the Birthplace national prospective cohort study. BMJ Open. 2014;4(1):e004026.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24441052
Lukasse M, Rowe R, Townend J, Knight M, Hollowell J. Immersion in water for pain relief and the risk of intrapartum transfer among low risk nulliparous women: secondary analysis of the birthplace national prospective cohort study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2014;14(1):60.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24499396
Rowe RE, Townend J, Brocklehurst P, Knight M, Macfarlane A, McCourt C, Newburn M, Redshaw M, Sandall J, Silverton L, Hollowell J. Service configuration, unit characteristics and variation in intervention rates in a national sample of obstetric units in England: an exploratory analysis. BMJ Open. 2014;4(5):e005551.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24875492
Redshaw M, Rowe R, Henderson J. Listening to Parents after stillbirth or the death of their baby after birth. Oxford: National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit. 2014.

2013

Rowe RE, Townend J, Brocklehurst P, Knight M, Macfarlane A, McCourt C, Newburn M, Redshaw M, Sandall J, Silverton L, Hollowell J. Duration and urgency of transfer in births planned at home and in freestanding midwifery units in England: secondary analysis of the birthplace national prospective cohort study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2013;13:224.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24314134

2012

Rowe RE, Fitzpatrick R, Hollowell J, Kurinczuk JJ. Transfers of women planning birth in midwifery units: data from the Birthplace prospective cohort study. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2012;119(9):1081-90.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03414.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03414.x/asset/j.1471-0528.2012.03414.x.pdf?v=1&t=io1l8ejv&s=21da35e188fbb1e9decb0c35e32f9edf31b81e90
Rowe RE, Kurinczuk JJ, Locock L, Fitzpatrick R. Women's experience of transfer from midwifery unit to hospital obstetric unit during labour: a qualitative interview study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2012;12:129.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-12-129 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3541241/pdf/1471-2393-12-129.pdf

2011

Birthplace in England Collaborative Group, Brocklehurst P, Hardy P, Hollowell J, Linsell L, Macfarlane A, McCourt C, Marlow N, Miller A, Newburn M, Petrou S, Puddicombe D, Redshaw M, Rowe R, Sandall J, Silverton L, Stewart M. Perinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth for healthy women with low risk pregnancies: the Birthplace in England national prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2011;343.
http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d7400
Hollowell J, Puddicombe D, Rowe R, Linsell L, Hardy P, Stewart M, Redshaw M, Newburn M, McCourt C, Sandall J, Macfarlane A, Silverton L, Brocklehurst P, Birthplace in England Collaborative Group obo. The Birthplace national prospective cohort study: perinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth. Birthplace in England research programme. Final report part 4: NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation programme. 2011.
http://www.netscc.ac.uk/hsdr/files/project/SDO_FR4_08-1604-140_V03.pdf
Redshaw M, Rowe R, Schroeder L, Puddicombe D, Macfarlane A, Newburn M, McCourt C, Sandall J, Silverton L, Marlow N, on behalf of Birthplace in England Collaborative Group. Mapping maternity care: the configuration of maternity care in England. Birthplace in England research programme. Final Report 3: NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation programme. 2011.
http://www.netscc.ac.uk/hsdr/files/project/SDO_FR3_08-1604-140_V04.pdf
Rowe R. Transfer from midwifery unit to obstetric unit during labour: rates, process and women's experience [DPhil thesis]. Oxford: University of Oxford; 2011.
http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:bc7776ef-1e6e-46d0-9fa7-c62e653920b3
Rowe R, Birthplace in England Collaborative Group obo. Birthplace terms and definitions: consensus process. Birthplace in England research programme. Final report part 2: NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation programme. 2011.
http://www.netscc.ac.uk/hsdr/files/project/SDO_FR2_08-1604-140_V02.pdf

2010

Rowe RE. Local guidelines for the transfer of women from midwifery unit to obstetric unit during labour in England: a systematic appraisal of their quality. Quality and Safety in Health Care. 2010;19(2):90-4.
http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/19/2/90.abstract http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/19/2/90.full.pdf

2009

McNeill J, Alderdice F, Rowe R, Martin D, Dornan JC. Down's syndrome screening in Northern Ireland: women's reasons for accepting or declining serum testing. Evidence Based Midwifery. 2009;7(3):76-83.
http://www.doctoralmidwiferysociety.org/Portals/c8d3e3f8-9c01-4bf5-abd9-3fd6b4c510ae/Down%27s_syndrome_screening_in_NI.pdf
Redshaw M, Martin C, Rowe R, Hockley C. The Oxford Worries about Labour Scale: Women's experience and measurement characteristics of a measure of maternal concern about labour and birth. Psychology, Health & Medicine. 2009;14(3):354-66.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13548500802707159 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13548500802707159

2008

Alderdice F, McNeill J, Rowe R, Martin D, Dornan J. Inequalities in the reported offer and uptake of antenatal screening. Public Health. 2008;122(1):42-52.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350607001667 http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0033350607001667/1-s2.0-S0033350607001667-main.pdf?_tid=4ee3006e-16c5-11e6-b9d0-00000aacb35d&acdnat=1462894917_07785539278f1c33756143a8310448fb
Rowe R, Puddicombe D, Hockley C, Redshaw M. Offer and uptake of prenatal screening for Down syndrome in women from different social and ethnic backgrounds. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2008;28(13):1245-50.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pd.2125 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/pd.2125/asset/2125_ftp.pdf?v=1&t=io1ltvy6&s=65b723995f737e7f5c497ca08792705e66304471
Rowe R, Stewart M, Puddicombe D. Perinatal Outcomes in Birth Centers. Birth. 2008;35(1):85.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-536X.2007.00219_1.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.1523-536X.2007.00219_1.x/asset/j.1523-536X.2007.00219_1.x.pdf?v=1&t=io1lsejl&s=3fbc4a6148788b3f16d69b87d044ef69c1901d32
Rowe RE, Magee H, Quigley MA, Heron P, Askham J, Brocklehurst P. Social and ethnic differences in attendance for antenatal care in England. Public Health. 2008;122(12):1363-72.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350608001546 http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0033350608001546/1-s2.0-S0033350608001546-main.pdf?_tid=7c65e2ae-16c5-11e6-9f71-00000aacb35e&acdnat=1462894993_cc37d88e4c9a3320adbec6aca71cd68e

2007

Redshaw M, Rowe R, Hockley C, Brocklehurst P. Recorded delivery: a national survey of women's experience of maternity care 2006. Oxford: NPEU. 2007.
https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/assets/downloads/maternity-surveys/reports/Maternity-Survey-Report-2006-Recorded-Delivery.pdf

2005

Rowe RE, Garcia J. Ethnic minorities' access to antenatal screening. British Journal of Midwifery. 2005;13(2):101-4.

2004

Rowe RE, Garcia J, Davidson LL. Social and ethnic inequalities in the offer and uptake of prenatal screening and diagnosis in the UK: a systematic review. Public Health. 2004;118:177-89.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2003.08.004 http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0033350603001938/1-s2.0-S0033350603001938-main.pdf?_tid=aa908b7a-1b66-11e6-841d-00000aacb360&acdnat=1463404024_429fe5d7c944ae5917c3dab44e05c36d

2003

Rowe RE, Garcia J. Social class, ethnicity and attendance for antenatal care in the United Kingdom: a systematic review. Journal of Public Health Medicine. 2003;25(2):113-9.
http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/25/2/113.full.pdf

2002

Rowe RE, Garcia J, Macfarlane AJ, Davidson LL. Improving communication between health professionals and women in maternity care: a structured review. Health Expectations. 2002;5(1):63-83.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1046/j.1369-6513.2002.00159.x/asset/j.1369-6513.2002.00159.x.pdf?v=1&t=ioa10ib1&s=244f23080effe938671c7d6085ba358485af8d99

2001

Rowe RE, Garcia J, Macfarlane AJ, Davidson LL. Does poor communication contribute to stillbirths and infant deaths? A review. Journal of Public Health Medicine. 2001;23(1):23-34.
http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/1/23.full.pdf
Garcia J, D'Souza L, Rowe R, Jayaweera H, Davidson LL, Henderson J. Tackling Health Inequalities: consultation on a plan for delivery. Oxford: NPEU; 2001.

1999

Rowe RE, Garcia J, Macfarlane AJ, Davidson LL. Communication issues in stillbirth and infant death: a review of communications within the CESDI framework. Oxford: NPEU; 1999.

Rachel Rowe BA (Hons), DPhil