'Overwhelming' response to birth trauma inquiry

An inquiry into birth trauma has received more than 1,300 submissions from families.

It is estimated that 30,000 women a year in the UK have suffered negative experiences during the delivery of their babies, while 1 in 20 develop post-traumatic stress disorder.

The investigation is a cross-party initiative, led by MPs Theo Clarke and Rosie Duffield, in collaboration with the Birth Trauma Association.

Ms Clarke the Conservative MP for Stafford, triggered the first ever parliamentary debate on the issue in October.

In an emotional exchange in the House of Commons, she described her own experience following her daughter's birth at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in 2022.

She bled heavily after suffering a tear and had to undergo two-hour surgery without general anaesthetic, due to an earlier epidural.

The Birth Trauma Association, which is administering the inquiry, invited the public to submit written accounts of their own experiences.

Dr Kim Thomas, from the association, said she had received an "overwhelming" number of personal accounts. Some cases date back as far as the 1960s.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 25 February 2024