Unexpected Dangers For New Mums
It is difficult to imagine the horror you would feel on being told that the beautiful newborn baby you have just breastfed was not your own. In this modern age it is also difficult to imagine how the situation could occur. Or is it?
Newborn babies are tagged with small plastic 'family' name tags (which also include baby's date of birth) immediately they are born. These tags remain on the baby's wrist to be cut off once the baby is at home. When nurses or midwives have occasion to temporarily separate a baby from its mother, it is standard procedure to read out loud from the tag as the baby is handed back - thus stopping any problems as happened recently at Bassetlaw Hospital in Nottingham.
Bassetlaw Hospital has an excellent NHS star rating yet, two babies having been temporarily separated from their mothers were accidentally swapped on their return! It took one hour for the mistake to be noticed in which time one of the mothers had breastfed a baby. According to the BBC News The Royal College of Midwives comment on this incidence was par for the course: "Mistakes like this quite often happen at a time when staff are pressurised, when perhaps there aren't enough staff available..."
This is unacceptable.
Recently I had occasion to be in Derriford Maternity Hospital to welcome to our family a new granddaughter. Although this little angel was born fit, well and with a good pair of lungs! the experience was not so smooth for her mother. Continuity in the delivery suite was sadly lacking and it is hardly surprising that with 5 different midwives dealing with this one birth, my daughter-in-law (and son) were becoming exasperated and confused at being asked for their details such as ... "what is your name." The snowball effect of so many hands on deck brought several problems not least of which was that no-one seemed to know if this new baby had been given her vitamin K - a must for newborns.
This is totally unacceptable.
There were several areas within the the next 24 hours that could have improved the service and care for the new mum and her first baby. Non of these problems were due to "staff being pressurised, or perhaps there weren't enough staff available..." but, albeit in my observed opinion, poor administration, poor co-ordination and lack of post delivery follow through.
Newborn babies are tagged with small plastic 'family' name tags (which also include baby's date of birth) immediately they are born. These tags remain on the baby's wrist to be cut off once the baby is at home. When nurses or midwives have occasion to temporarily separate a baby from its mother, it is standard procedure to read out loud from the tag as the baby is handed back - thus stopping any problems as happened recently at Bassetlaw Hospital in Nottingham.
Bassetlaw Hospital has an excellent NHS star rating yet, two babies having been temporarily separated from their mothers were accidentally swapped on their return! It took one hour for the mistake to be noticed in which time one of the mothers had breastfed a baby. According to the BBC News The Royal College of Midwives comment on this incidence was par for the course: "Mistakes like this quite often happen at a time when staff are pressurised, when perhaps there aren't enough staff available..."
This is unacceptable.
Recently I had occasion to be in Derriford Maternity Hospital to welcome to our family a new granddaughter. Although this little angel was born fit, well and with a good pair of lungs! the experience was not so smooth for her mother. Continuity in the delivery suite was sadly lacking and it is hardly surprising that with 5 different midwives dealing with this one birth, my daughter-in-law (and son) were becoming exasperated and confused at being asked for their details such as ... "what is your name." The snowball effect of so many hands on deck brought several problems not least of which was that no-one seemed to know if this new baby had been given her vitamin K - a must for newborns.
This is totally unacceptable.
There were several areas within the the next 24 hours that could have improved the service and care for the new mum and her first baby. Non of these problems were due to "staff being pressurised, or perhaps there weren't enough staff available..." but, albeit in my observed opinion, poor administration, poor co-ordination and lack of post delivery follow through.
posted by Anonymous at 2/09/2008 08:06:00 pm
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