Birth Trauma Inquiry Launched by UK Parliament

On 9 January 2024, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on birth trauma set up a public inquiry to investigate traumatic births in the UK, with a view to providing recommendations to reduce the rate of birth related trauma.

For many families having a baby is a precious and exciting time, however for some births can come with complications and trauma. Sometimes, giving birth can be an unavoidably traumatic event, however there are certain situations where it is avoidable and has occurred due to the negligence of medical practitioners.

Research shows that approximately 4 – 5% of women develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after giving birth, this equates to approximately 25,000 – 30,000 women each year. With 1 in 3 women describing some elements of their birth experience as traumatic.

The inquiry is currently gathering evidence to inform the report which will include practical recommendations for the Government and will be published in Spring 2024.

Written submissions are currently being welcomed from both parents and professionals who work in maternity care. It is open to anybody in the UK. If you would like to provide evidence, please find further details below:

https://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/birth-trauma

The closing date for submissions is Tuesday 6 February 2024.

Where a traumatic birth has occurred due to the negligence of healthcare professionals you should seek to obtain legal advice. Signs of negligence occurring in birth include:

• Injuries to baby; brain injuries, internal bleeding, brachial plexus palsy, fractures, cerebral palsy, hip dysplasia, cuts and scars, Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and fatalities
• Injuries to mother; errors in managing pre-eclampsia, anaesthetic errors, wrongly performed episiotomies, injuries to organs from caesareans, nerve injury, failure to remove all of the placenta, postpartum haemorrhage, vaginal tears, pelvic organ prolapse and fatalities.