Dr Lesley Ansell, of Auckland, MNZM for services to midwifery
Dr Lesley Ansell is widely recognised for her expertise in midwifery, and successfully addressed the high rate of the childbirth emergency known as ‘shoulder dystocia’, involving the entrapment of the baby’s shoulders during birth, which can lead to injury or death of the baby. She developed a new technique, ‘axillary traction’ which was adopted by the midwifery community. Her research was published in the Australia and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and has been included in the development of New Zealand hospital guidelines, the Pacific Emergency Maternal and Neonatal Training Manual and the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology guidelines.