Il Guardian riporta le conclusioni di un’inchiesta durata 5 anni negli ospedali della contea inglese dello Shropshire su mortalità e morbilità durante i parti. Quello che colpisce è la notizia che l’elevato numero di casi potrebbe essere legato alla pratica ginecologica di ridurre il più possibile il numero di parti cesarei.

The inquiry, which analysed the experiences of 1,500 families at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital trust between 2000 and 2019, found that at least 12 mothers died while giving birth, and some families lost more than one child in separate incidents. […] The Ockenden report is expected to reveal that hundreds of babies were stillborn, died shortly after birth or were left permanently brain-damaged while many had fractured skulls or broken bones, or were left with life-changing disabilities

Pochi giorni dopo il primo articolo, il giornale pubblica l’esperienza negativa di una delle madri che hanno avuto la sfortuna di partorire negli ospedali della contea.

As full term approached, I would tell anyone who would listen that I could feel this baby’s shoulders grinding on my pelvis. At a checkup at 37 weeks, I was dismissed by my consultant when I enquired whether I might need a C-section this time. Due to the “natural birth” dogma I had ingested, it was something that I did not ask for loudly enough, too intimidated by this senior doctor who dismissed my fears and worries; telling me that a 4kg baby was not considered to be large. In what I assume as a compromise, I was informed that I would be induced on my due date.

Le notizie sono collegate ad un precedente articolo dello stesso giornale che discuteva l’opportunità di lasciare le gestanti decidere se partorire in modo naturale o con un taglio cesareo.

It’s a controversial topic. The World Health Organization says that C-sections are associated with risks for both mother and baby, which is why it campaigns to reduce unnecessary C-sections and considers them a last resort, only to be done when medically necessary, a stance with which some NHS trusts seem to agree. On the other hand, the charity Birthrights and the public body providing national healthcare guidance in England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), say if people truly want caesareans after carefully considering the facts, they should be given them.