Posted by Melissa Maimann on Dec 25, 2009 in
Birth,
Home birth,
Midwifery Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email me or call 0400 418 448.
Link
A pioneering home birth service has been axed amid concerns it had 10 times the normal rate of babies born with serious complications such as brain damage.
The Albany practice, an independent group in South London previously described as a “gold standard” for the midwifery sector, had its contract with the NHS terminated after an inquiry into alleged poor practice over 30 months.
The move has prompted a campaign by the group’s supporters, who … claim the service was terminated because NHS managers preferred hospital births. Under the Albany group, all women have their babies delivered by the first midwife they see during their pregnancy, with almost half giving birth at home.
… a spokesman for King’s College Hospital, which commissioned the report … defended the decision.
… “While the report reinforced our view of the excellent relationships formed between Albany midwives and their expectant mothers, it also highlighted serious shortcomings in terms of non-compliance with [hospital] trust policies and risk management procedures, particularly during labour and with newborn babies.”
The report revealed that the hospital identified 11 cases where brain damage was caused by a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain … It concluded that “risk factors for a poor outcome in pregnancy were being overlooked by Albany midwives”.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, Complicated pregnancy or birth, continuity of care, Home birth, hospital birth, intervention, midwife, Midwifery, Midwifery services, Normal Birth, women's rights
Posted by Melissa Maimann on Dec 25, 2009 in
Birth,
Caesarean,
Midwifery,
Normal Birth,
Obstetrics Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email me or call 0400 418 448.
Link
Cesarean sections are more common than ever in the U.S. But the rate of C-sections varies dramatically between hospitals—and can be as high as 35 percent …
… only about 5 percent of C-sections are true emergencies. Another 3 percent are elective, meaning there’s no medical reason to have one. The rest fall into a murky area: the mother plans a vaginal birth but is past her due date, labor isn’t progressing as quickly as everyone would like and the baby is growing larger …
Factors contributing to the increased number of C-sections include older moms-to-be … heavier pregnant women … and a rise in induced labor, which increases the chance a woman will need a C-section.
Technology, such as recording the fetal heart rate, also plays a role: Skittish doctors are more likely to play it safe and perform major abdominal surgery if there’s any hint of trouble.
C-sections can be lifesaving, but research suggests they’re associated with extra risks in comparison with vaginal birth. New moms experience more physical problems, longer recovery … and more emotional issues. Babies are born by cesarean are less likely to be breastfed and more likely to experience breathing problems at birth and asthma as they get older.
Healthy People 2010, the Centers for Disease Control’s national health campaign, is working to lower the C-section rate to 15 percent among low-risk women giving birth for the first time.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, Caesarean, Complicated pregnancy or birth, hospital birth, Public and private hospitals
