Women who start labor with the obstetrician are more likely to have their baby die than women who start labor under the supervision of a gynaecologist. This is apparent from a large-scale study by UMC Utrecht, which was published in the British Medical Journal. .
The chance of infant mortality is higher if labor begins in primary care under the supervision of a midwife † These are so-called low-risk deliveries in which no complicating factors play a role. Yet in these deliveries the chance of baby death is 2.3 times higher as in high-risk deliveries, which start in secondary care under the supervision of a gynaecologist †
The risk of death is even higher if a birth starts at home under the supervision of a midwife and the woman halfway to the hospital must be brought. The chance of a baby dying is then 3.7 times greater than when a birth starts in the hospital.
The researchers analyzed almost 38,000 births in the Utrecht region from 2007 and 2008.
Changes
The doctors of the UMC Utrecht believe that the system needs to change in four important areas:better monitoring around delivery, better transport in case of emergency, better information transfer between professionals and better risk assessment by professionals.
(Gezondheidsnet.nl)
