KUDOS for IRISH OBSTETRICIANS

Ireland is one of the safest countries in the world to have a baby. The easiest figures for me to lay my hands on for this blog are from 2010: Ireland: 6 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births; http://www.indexmundi.com/ireland/maternal_mortality_rate.html
the figure for the USA is 20 -  http://www.indexmundi.com/united_states/maternal_mortality_rate.html


CSPAN brought us the recent proceedings from Dáil Eireann (the Irish Parliament) which involved Obstetricians explaining their role in protecting a mother's life in pregnancy when there is a serious medical issue. This is in the wake of the very tragic death of Savita Halappanavar in an Irish hospital; the pro-choice lobby point to Ireland's politicians failure to legislate on the 1993 X Case as a contributing cause of  death.

So what is a doctor to do when faced with an obstetric emergency? If the only option to save the mother is to terminate the pregnancy, they do that.

'We never kill babies,' emphasized the very impressive Dr. Rhona Mahoney, Master of one of Ireland biggest Maternitiy Hospitals, The National Maternity Hospital (commonly known as Holles St) in Dublin, in response to a question from the Floor of the House. Holles St. is the busiest maternity hospital in Ireland.

Dr. Mahoney went on to say that it happens that she and her colleagues have to terminate pregnancies early because of a risk to a mother's life, but that the baby is given every care available. Unfortunately, sometimes the baby is just too young and small to live.
I can't tell you how refreshing it was to hear a discussion about crisis or problem pregnancies where the word 'baby' is not taboo.
And KUDOS to Irish OBs - the professionalism of the Team who gave their presentations - Dr. Rhona Mahoney, Dr. Sam Coulter-Smith, Master of the Rotunda Hospital and Dr. Mary McCaffrey from Tralee Hospital, County Kerry, was evident. Their love for their patients and their dedicatation to Mothers and Babies was there for the world to see.
Watch the Full Session here http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/CurrentAb