CDOP Briefing Paper 7: March 2017
This paper captures points of interest that have arisen since the last West Sussex CDOP meeting:
Nappy Sack Stakeholder Event – 3 April 2017 – BEIS London
The panel has discussed the known risks associated with the use of nappy sacks and has agreed to supporta national campaign being led byRoSPA,to look into ways in which families can be made aware of the risks and to explore ideas in which nappy sacks can be produced and packaged in a safer way. RoSPA areworking closely with the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Trading Standards Services, to bring this issue to the attention of businesses and consumers.
A representative from West Sussex CDOPwill be attending a forthcoming Stakeholder Event in London on 3 April 2017. The purpose of the event is to bring together major retailers, industry associations, manufacturers and importers of nappy sacks in order to maximise public awareness and to develop a BRC Code of Practice for the manufacture and labelling of nappy sacks. A report will be presented at the next CDOP meeting in May 2017.
A new Safety Information Leaflet on the risks associated with Nappy Sacks (Feb 2017) has also been posted on the WSSCB website.
Baby dies after incorrect maternity pathway followed
An Article in The Times (26/2/17) reported that a patients group hadvoiced fears that week that errors in calculating a Mother’s age has led to an inappropriate care pathway being followed and the subsequent death of a full term baby. It goes on to say that “NHS guidelines state that all pregnant women over the age of 40 should be treated by a consultant and offered an induction around the due date because of the risk of stillbirth”. Sheffield Teaching College NHS Trust has sinceadmitted that had the Mother been given the right treatment around her due date, the likelihood is that the baby would have been born healthy. The Trust has stressed however that the Mother’s age was calculated and recorded correctly but that the correct maternity pathway had not been followed in this case.
Reports published this period
Better Beginnings – Improving Health for Pregnancy
This themed review brings together research from NIHR to identify factors that can be modified before, during and after pregnancy to improve the health of Mother and Baby and thereby improve pregnancy outcomes. The report states that “stopping smoking removes the greatest modifiable risk for poorer pregnancy outcomes” and encourages us to consider if we have “clear pathways for identifying pregnant women who are smoking and for providing support and referrals to specialist stop smoking services?”. In 2015-2016 “Smoking during pregnancy” was the top modifiable factor here in West Sussex. We have invited Sue Carmichael (Public Health Lead for Healthy Lifestyles) to come along to our meeting in March 2017 to give us an update on Maternal Smoking initiatives here in West Sussex.
Reducing Harm leading to avoidable admission of full-term babies into neonatal units
This is a clinical resource pack, issued alongside a patient safety alert to support the NHS to provide safer care and reduce the number of full-term babies (babies born at or after 37 weeks pregnancy) admitted to neonatal units.
State of Child Health: Mortality Indicators – published by RCPCH
Most Common Causes of death by age group (taken from the State of Child Health-Mortality Indicators Report – Jan 2017):
Under 1 year / Age 1 – 9 years / Age 10 – 19 years- Conditions related to pre-term births
- Cancer
- Injuries & Poisoning
- Congenital Conditions
- Neurological & Development Disorders
- NB: Pre term birth also contributes to mortality for up to 10 years after birth
- Injuries
- Violence & Suicide
- Cancer
- Substance misuse
- Nervous System and Development Disorders
There is a strong association between deprivation and risk of death throughout childhood
For the full report please follow the link above or click here
Maggie Pugh, CDOP Officer
March 2017