The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends "a perfectly healthy mother and child with the lowest level of safety-compatible care".
Birth, despite the decrease in the numbers, remains the most frequent reason for hospitalization in Italian healthcare facilities. Promoting and validating good practice pathways for prenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care are crucial aspects of obstetric practice and a public health priority.
The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS, the Italian National Institute of Health) has contributed continuously since the 1980s to producing knowledge, providing support for updating health professionals, promoting improved care and monitoring health outcomes.
