8Updating of the guideline

Publication Details

In accordance with the procedures for updating WHO guidelines, a systematic and continuous process of identifying and bridging evidence gaps following guideline implementation will be employed. An Executive Guideline Steering Group (GSG) for maternal and newborn health recommendations will convene biannually to review WHO’s current portfolio of maternal and newborn health recommendations, and to prioritize new and existing questions for recommendation development and updating, particularly for recommendations supported by very low- or low-certainty evidence, where new recommendations or a change in the published recommendations may be warranted. Accordingly, the recommendations included in this guideline will be regularly reviewed and prioritized as needed by the Executive GSG. In the event that new evidence (that could potentially impact the current evidence base for any of the recommendations) is identified, the recommendation will be updated. If no new reports or information are identified for a particular recommendation, the recommendation will be revalidated.

Any concern about the validity of any recommendation will be promptly communicated via the website for the guideline,1 and plans will be made to update the recommendation, as needed. WHO welcomes suggestions regarding additional questions for inclusion in future updates of this guideline; suggestions can be addressed by email to WHO MCA (tni.ohw@hacnm) and WHO SRH (tni.ohw@hpmhrs).