Fears over women's safety as birth rates rise
Women’s lives could be put at risk due to rising birth rates at Dublin’s maternity hospitals, it was claimed today.
Inadequate staffing levels and serious infrastructural deficiencies were also highlighted by the Master of the Coombe Women’s Hospital, Dr Chris Fitzpatrick.
Dr Fitzpatrick said the fact that there were no maternal deaths at the facility in 2006 is a tribute to the highly effective multidisciplinary teamwork of midwives, obstetricians, anaesthetists and adult medical sub-specialists.
“There are however increasing concerns in all three Dublin Maternity Hospitals with regard to patient safety in view of the increasing birth rate, inadequate staffing levels, and serious infra-structural deficiencies,” he added.
The Coombe – one of the largest maternity hospitals in Europe – recorded its busiest year to date last year.
A total of 8,084 infants were delivered – including 141 sets of twins, three sets of triplets and one set of quadruplets – and more than 7,000 surgical operations performed.
Figures also showed almost four out of ten new mums were first time mothers, 4.2% were under 20 years of age while 4.3% were 40 or older, and 76.8% were from the Republic of Ireland.
Midwives also found that 18.2% smoked while pregnant, 3.4% had a previous history of postnatal depression, 46.6% had not taken folic acid prior to pregnancy, a quarter had not had a cervical smear prior to pregnancy, and one in ten had a history of domestic violence.
But while the number of births increased, the facility was the only one in the capital to report a drop in the number of Caesarean sections by 22%, its lowest figure in three years.
In addition to a busy maternity service, the Coombe is the largest provider of Gynaecology care in the country.
Dr Fitzpatrick said the Gynaecology Oncology Division in the hospital, alongside St James’s Hospital, diagnosed and treated 207 new patients with gynaecological cancer in 2006.
Dr Fitzpatrick emphasised the importance of the Coombe Women’s Hospital’s very close strategic association with St James’s Hospital for both maternity and gynaecology services, in terms of access to adult sub-specialist services, in addition to research, education and training synergies.
