A newborn baby is vulnerable to abuse and neglect, and the professional role may involve assessment before the baby is born. The aim of this paper is to explore the perspectives and experiences of midwives and child protection social workers regarding the protection of unborn babies within Northern Ireland. Data were gathered using four focus groups (14 midwives and 16 child protection social workers) within one Health and Social Care Trust. The data were analysed in terms of understanding risk factors and forming a professional judgement. The mental wellbeing of the pregnant woman, drug use, alcohol use, domestic violence, the pregnant woman's childhood experiences, gestation period and antenatal care attendance were the main risks identified. Observations, engaging with the pregnant woman and using ‘soft intelligence’ were key aspects in forming a professional judgement. The appraisal of the ability of the pregnant woman to recognise danger was an important moderating factor, and perhaps formed part of a professional judgement heuristic to assist in making sense of wide‐ranging information about diverse risks.

中文翻译：

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关于儿童保护风险和未出生婴儿的社会工作者和助产士决策：定性研究

新生婴儿很容易受到虐待和忽视，专业角色可能需要在婴儿出生之前进行评估。本文旨在探讨助产士和保护儿童的社会工作者在北爱尔兰保护未出生婴儿的观点和经验。一个健康与社会关怀信托基金内的四个焦点小组（14名助产士和16名儿童保护社会工作者）收集了数据。根据了解风险因素并形成专业判断对数据进行了分析。孕妇的心理健康，吸毒，酗酒，家庭暴力，孕妇的童年经历，妊娠期和产前护理是确定的主要风险。观察，与孕妇打交道并使用“软情报”是形成专业判断力的关键方面。对孕妇识别危险的能力的评估是一个重要的缓和因素，这也许是专业判断启发法的一部分，可以帮助理解各种风险的广泛信息。