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I agree Maureen, seems like when a baby dies under
the care of an Ob then it's the danger of birth or women's faulty bodies, but
when it's under the care of a Midwife it's the midwife's fault (or b/c they
didn't have a dr, ironic)
Katrina
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 1:11
PM
Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Midwifery
troubles in NZ
I
would like to see a list of babies dying in medical care. It is awful, but
things do happen. We had a case where a young mum was told it would be
better for her breech baby to born by C/S. The baby died. So C/S need
not 'save' the baby. Also, if that's the total number of incidents in
that time frame, then surely the stats aren't too bad. What else was involved
in the cases? Why aren't Drs errors published?
Maureen
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FYI, just
when we are hoping for reform here there is this tragic report from
NZ. Barb
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![Pete Hodgson]() |
| Pete
Hodgson |
Hodgson argues against review of maternity services
20.03.06
4.20pm
Health
Minister Pete Hodgson says a review of maternity services would only
delay improvements being made in the sector.
National Party
health spokesman Tony Royal today renewed his call for an independent
audit of maternity services following a report of another baby's death
being blamed on midwife care.
The parents of the child born at
Auckland's Middlemore Hospital in an emergency caesarean operation
were reportedly told midwives had misread a fetal heart rate monitor.
The child died seven hours after the caesarean.
The
case follows criticism of health workers following reports on the
deaths of three other babies -- two by a coroner and one by Health and
Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson.
The child's parents --
Heather and Alan Phillips -- are now calling for an inquiry into
maternity and midwifery care.
Mr Ryall said the problem was
not going to go away and Mr Hodgson needed to get the review started
so problems could be fixed.
"Every month there are more
frightening incidents coming to light, and more professional groups
calling for change."
Mr Hodgson said a review of maternity
services would delay improvements being developed by professionals.
"It would be easy for all involved -- including me -- to call
for a review and take some of the political heat out of the maternity
issue," he said.
"But while it would be easy it would also be
counter-productive."
The Health Ministry was talking with
professional bodies in maternity service including midwives, doctors
and nurses focusing on improving services through better coordination
between Leader Maternity Care and hospital services.
"The
ministry and the maternity sector are taking this approach because
they know action is needed now -- not after a drawn-out review
process."
Mr Hodgson pointed out that National MP Paul
Hutchison had previously been reported saying he did not think a
review was necessary.
Dr Hutchison told NZPA that he agreed
with Mr Ryall but wanted the Government to act on the 1999 maternity
review which he said had been ignored.
"Due to the increasing
concerns about maternity care I would agree with Tony that a full
review is undertaken now -- but great note should be taken of that
report from 1999."
The hospital involved in the latest case is
waiting until the Accident Compensation Corporation has reported its
decision before commenting.
The New Zealand Herald newspaper
reported key failures in the baby's death were midwives' miss-reading
of a fetal heart rate monitor and a fetal blood-acidity test was
unnecessary in the circumstances and wasted time.
A hospital
document described the events surrounding the birth and poor follow-up
with the parents as a "multi-system failure".
Other recent
controversies involving midwife care included the death of a baby in
February 2001 after an undiagnosed breech birth at home, another
undiagnosed breech birth incident in February 2003 and a baby who died
in November 2003 after emergency caesarean and mismanaged labour at
North Shore Hospital.
In Dunedin today a High Court jury was
to be asked to decide whether midwife Jennifer Joan Crawshaw, 44, is
guilty of the manslaughter of a first-pregnancy breech baby born on
March 14, 2004.
Meanwhile NZ First MP Barbara Stewart said she
knew of another death but had been asked not to publicise it.
She wanted to hear what solutions Mr Hodgson proposed and the
latest case should ring alarm bells.
- NZPA
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