​Reducing baby deaths and brain injuries during childbirth

In the UK, each year between 500 and 800 babies die or are left with severe brain injury because something goes wrong during labour (Source: Each Baby Counts).

Each Baby Counts is the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ (RCOG) national quality improvement programme.

They have stated that they do not accept that all of these are unavoidable tragedies. You can view the video below.

Since 2015 they have been collecting data from all UK maternity units with the intention of identifying lessons to be learned in order to improve standards of maternity care.

They have now published their report and their recommendations reflect the concerns we have raised as claimant solicitors for many years.

Until the Each Baby Counts project began, stillbirths, neonatal deaths and brain injuries were investigated at a local level only and the report highlights concerns that these local investigations have not thoroughly investigated events.

In fact, they have gone further by stating that local investigations in 25% of the cases were not thorough enough to allow them to assess what might have gone wrong. Sadly this is reflected in our experience at Potter Rees Dolan.

In most cases, even if a local internal investigation has taken place, it has not answered key questions about the standard of care which has led to babies dying or suffering brain injury leading to cerebral palsy. Prof Lesley Regan, President of the RCOG, has stated:

The fact that a quarter of reports are still of such poor quality that we are unable to draw conclusions about the quality of the care provided is unacceptable and must be improved as a matter of urgency.

The report found that the parents were invited to be involved in only a third of the local reviews. I am glad that this has been recognised: I would say in the majority of cases we deal with, the parents don’t even know that an internal investigation has taken place, let alone been invited to partake in the process.

The report recommends that parents should be informed of local investigations and invited to contribute. Hospital Trusts must now inform NHS Resolution of all maternity incidents occurring on after 1 April 2017 which are likely to result in severe brain injury within 30 days of the incident.

In the majority of the cases we deal with, the poor care revolves around failing to monitor a woman properly in labour and, even when a CTG trace has been used, staff have not understood or interpreted it correctly because of inadequate training. The report identifies problems with staff understanding and processing complex situations, including interpreting baby heart-rate patterns.

Importantly, the report recommends annual training of staff in interpreting CTG traces which monitor the baby’s heart rate. Until now, ad hoc training has been left to charity organisations like Baby Lifeline who have spent years working hard to improve standards. Mothers and babies deserve better. Each Baby Counts has committed to reducing baby deaths and brain injury by 50% by 2020.

Let’s hope that this important report is the turning point.

Read how medical failings during Anna's birth resulted in severe brain damage and life-changing injuries resulting in over £11 million in compensation .

Gill Edwards is a senior clinical negligence solicitor with Potter Rees Dolan. Should you have any queries about clinical negligence issues and, in particular, birth injuries or neonatal death, and wish to speak with Gill or any other member of the team please contact us on 0161 237 5888.