What is happening this week in maternity?

Each baby costs UK hospitals £1000 injury insurance

NHS maternity hospitals are paying out insurance premiums of almost £1000 for each baby they deliver to protect themselves and staff against the cost of medical negligence this Times article reports. Jeremy Hunt last month told a medical conference that 25 babies were injured during birth each week in NHS hospitals with 4-5 of those suffering lifelong brain damage.

Every year more than 50,000 women nearly die in childbirth in the US

50,000 women nearly die each year in the US during childbirth. Of those women that do die over half of the deaths could be prevented. In this video 3 mothers tell the stories of what happened to them. 

​Risk Factors for hospital readmission due to infection following caesarean section

A study presented at the American college of obstetricians and gynaecologists annual meeting highlighted hospital readmission due to infection following caesarean. Of 3805 women undergoing caesarean delivery, 30 women (0.8%) had readmission due to infection. This was associated with younger maternal age, higher BMI, operative time ≥60 min, and ruptured membrane. Abstract available here.