Nursing and Midwifery Interventions for Fall Prevention in Women in the Maternity Cycle: A Scoping Review

Background: Women sustain falls throughout the maternity cycle, which can lead to maternal-child injuries. To avoid fall-related negative outcomes in the maternity cycle, it is necessary that nurses and midwives are aware of interventions focused on fall prevention. Objective: To identify and map nursing and midwifery interventions for fall prevention in women in the maternity cycle. Methods: The search was conducted in the following databases: CINAHL Ultimate, MEDLINE Ultimate, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Clinical Answers, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, MedicLatina, RCAAP, SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science. All types of reports related to nursing and midwifery interventions for fall prevention in women in the maternity cycle were included, in all contexts, published until May 5, 2025, in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Results: Regarding interventions for fall prevention, a total of 22 reports were found: 11 for the postpartum period; 6 for pregnancy; 4 for the three stages of the maternity cycle; and 1 for both pregnancy and the postpartum period. There are specific interventions for fall prevention for each maternity stage. Some interventions are transversal to the three maternity stages. When developing care plans, nurses and midwives should consider the following: fall risk assessment, documentation of interventions and their results, managing a safe environment, organizing care, and monitoring safety indexes. The interventions should include educating women about this issue, the risk factors, and the preventive interventions. These interventions are applicable to inpatient settings and to the community. In the community, nurses and midwives can use public statements and social media to promote women’s awareness. Conclusions: Interventions for fall prevention in women in the maternity cycle vary, according to the stage. Nurses and midwives can use this knowledge during decision-making, in their practice, whether at an individual level or in the community.