Fw: maternal mortality in London

[Guest guest]

Apologies. This below "sent" before I had finished.

I just wanted to add to 's report the fact that the World Health Organization (in 2000) as well as more recent reporting (2010) has identified the USA and then the UK (in that order) as having the worst (i.e., highest) infant mortality rates amongst the High Income countries (37 specified by the World Bank). And the point of this is that the failings are due to the counties' health systems.

In other words, reductions in services for prenatal and baby care in the UK will further worsen an already poor relative profile for the UK when compared with healthcare systems internationally.

Diane

From: Diane DeBell

Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 9:40 AM

Subject: Re: maternal mortality in London

,

Even 8.6 per 100,000 is very high. Only the United States, according to the WHO in 2000, had a higher infant mortality rate amongst the 37 High Income countries (world comparisons by the World Bank). In both cases, the

From: Cowley

Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 9:07 AM

Subject: maternal mortality in London

A short report in today's Lancet records a rise in maternal mortality in London: "London's maternal mortality rate to be substantially higher than that of the rest of the UK: 19·3 per 100 000 maternities (95% CI 14·0–26·6) versus 8·6 per 100 000 maternities (7·1–10·5)"

Bewley and Helleur comment that "Maternal death is associated with extremes of maternal age, obesity, social deprivation, black and minority ethnicity, late access to health care, in-vitro fertilisation, and multiple pregnancy—all factors pertaining to London's childbearing population," then go on to note the deficits in the maternity services.

What a terrible statement about a 'world class' city and our NHS.

best wishes

Cowley

sarahcowley183@...

http://myprofile.cos.com/S124021COn