Almost 40 tragic babies die amid mystery spikes in newborn fatalities
AN investigation is under way after Scotland’s death rate among newborn babies hit a ‘troubling’ peak for the second time in six months.
Health chiefs launched the probe after 18 infants suddenly died within four weeks of birth in March, triggering a warning threshold that was also activated in September last year when 21 youngsters died.
Both spikes – the first time this level of deaths has occurred since monitoring began in July 2017 – coincided with Covid surges but it’s unclear if there is any direct link.
Dr Sarah Stock, an expert in foetal medicine at Edinburgh University who has co-led the Covid-19 in Pregnancy Scotland study, said: ‘The numbers are really troubling and I don’t think we know the reasons why yet. It is really important we investigate as it is very unusual and understanding why is going to be crucial.’
Public Health Scotland (PHS) monitors the neonatal mortality rate on a monthly basis to pick up on any anomalies. The alarm was raised when the figures showed a death rate of 5.1 per 1,000 live births in September, followed by 4.6 two months ago, compared to a 2019 average of 1.49.
Covid infections among pregnant women are linked to a higher risk of premature delivery but vaccination rates in this group have been lower due to jab safety concerns.
PHS says during the middle part of 2021 there was ‘a sustained period’ when neonatal and infant mortality rates were higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Initial findings from a probe carried out following the September peak have so far failed to explain the rise but virus infection rates in mothers or their babies are not thought to have played a role.
Dr Stock added: ‘What we do know is it’s not neonatal Covid – the rates of infection in babies are very low and deaths from Covid are thankfully very small, so this isn’t the virus affecting babies. We do know Covid can affect pregnant women, and cause complications like early birth, so that is something we need to investigate.
‘The other thing is the wider impact on healthcare services and that is something that needs to be thought about as well.
‘Maternity and neonatal services are stretched and continue to feel the effects of Covid on staffing.’
Separate figures from PHS show 64.5 per cent of mothers who gave birth in March had received at least two vaccine doses, up from 23.1 per cent in September, but this compares with around 77 per cent overall for women aged 18-39.
The poorer uptake has been blamed on mixed messaging early in the rollout, though global studies consistently show the vaccine is safe in pregnancy.
Last week, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) warned a survey of its members in Scotland found half said they ‘rarely have enough staff to provide safe care’, adding that long-standing issues had been ‘worsened by the pandemic’ with midwives fearing these ‘are already impacting on the quality of care for women and their babies’.
RCM Scotland director Jacki Lambert said: ‘It is essential to remember that behind every one of these deaths are grieving parents and families. It is always important to find any cause of these deaths if they are known, learn from what has happened and do all we can to reduce the rates of neonatal deaths in the future.’
‘We know the virus can affect pregnant women’