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Monday, 25 February, 2002, 10:22 GMT
Poor birth care 'kills 200 babies'
Some doctors are not following best practice, it is claimed
A minority of doctors are still failing to follow the latest procedures in maternity wards - leading to hundreds of unnecessary deaths, says a report.
The comprehensive survey of obstetric units in the UK, carried out by experts from the Department of Paediatrics at Leeds University, found that many were still using discredited techniques. It suggests that as many as 200 babies a year may be dying as a result, as well as thousands of women being injured. Speaking to the BBC's "Today" programme, one of the authors, Professor Jim Thornton, said that, on the whole, doctors had embraced new procedures, such as the use of a suction device on the baby's head, instead of old-fashioned forceps. However, he said that perhaps one in five were still clinging on to outmoded practices, or not using the latest interventions, which could make the difference between life and death for some newborns. He said: "Things have improved immensely, and our survey does show that in the past practice was sometimes poor. "The worrying figures are that there is still a small but significant amount of room for improvement." Latest advice The Leeds team reviewed more than 2,000 cases from 20 hospitals. It found that some of the latest guidelines were being followed by fewer than two-thirds of doctors.
This was one of the key reasons for the estimated 200 extra baby deaths. The report claimed that few hospitals had made any "explicit attempt" to spread best practice in maternity care by sending staff on training courses, buying new equipment - or by ensuring that outmoded equipment was no longer available. It said that there were approximately 2,000 preventable infections, 8,000 women left unnecessarily in pain after delivery, and 1,500 cases of severe injury caused by forceps delivery. The medical profession is taking steps to try to make sure that doctors are following the latest advice on a wide variety of treatments. Annual appraisals for doctors are being introduced, alongside a system of "revalidation", in which doctors must prove they are keeping up to date in order to stay on the professional register. |
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