Reports highlight experiences of birth trauma

Two reports show the serious challenges facing maternity and neonatal services in the UK. Bliss says these reports highlight the stark reality that some families experience around the time of labour and birth, and the impact of a failure to effectively address the issues that exist across maternity and neonatal services.

On 13 May, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Birth Trauma published Listen to Mums: Ending the Postcode Lottery on Perinatal Care’ which highlights women’s experiences of birth trauma.

The report describes the rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) being particularly high among women who have had a preterm birth. They found that women are not given the information they need during pregnancy, labour and after birth, and they are not always listened to. When something has gone wrong in labour and a baby is born very unwell as a result, parents do not always receive the good communication they need.

The APPG report calls for a Maternity Commissioner to be appointed and for the Government to develop a National Maternity Improvement Strategy.

On 14 May, the Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit published Saving Babies’ Lives 2024: A Report on Progress that highlights the lack of progress towards the Government’s own targets to reduce rates of stillbirth, neonatal death and premature birth in England. Although the national targets are to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal death and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth, and to reduce the preterm birth rate from 8% to 6%, all by 2025, the report shows that:

• Progress to reduce stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates has stalled and there has been little progress in reducing the preterm birth rate.

• The risk of neonatal mortality is 75% higher among babies from Black ethnic backgrounds, and 30% higher among babies from Asian ethnic groups, both compared to White babies.

• Babies from a Black ethnic background are far more likely to be born extremely preterm.

• Where rates of neonatal mortality have decreased, this is driven by a reduction among the least deprived group rather than across all backgrounds.

Bliss Chief Executive Caroline Lee-Davey said: “The two reports released this week show the scale of the problems facing maternity and neonatal services, but they also show that it doesn’t have to be this way.

“Some of the answers to reducing neonatal mortality and premature birth rates already exist, but the Government must commit the resources and focus needed to transform services at a national level, including commitments to listen to parents, invest in the maternity and neonatal workforce, learn lessons from deaths and serious incidents, and follow nationally agreed standards of care.”

Executive Director Midwife of the Royal College of Midwives Birte Harlev-Lam said of the report: “The message from this report is stark and clear – concerns are not always being taken seriously and this must urgently change. The death of any baby is tragedy, even more so if it could have been prevented. Sadly, none of the findings of this report are new and they underline what the RCM and our members have long been saying that staffing shortages drastically impact the safety and quality of care that can be delivered.

“Protected time for training, in particular multidisciplinary training for maternity teams is crucial, so maternity staff can better respond to emergencies and mitigate safety risks. Far too often we are hearing of training being postponed due to staff shortages.”

Read Listen to Mums: Ending the Postcode Lottery on Perinatal Care

Read Saving Babies’ Lives 2024: A Report on Progress