This article is from page 14 of the 2013-03-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
CLARE’S expectant mothers are not getting the best pre-natal case possible, according to a member of Ennis Town Council, who argues that a 20week scan would provide for a safer delivery in cases where the baby may need urgent treatment.
Cllr Paul O’Shea (Ind) received the support of his colleagues as he called on the HSE in the region to provide a 20-week anomaly scan for all pregnant women in Clare as part of the routine ante-natal screening process.
According to the former Labour councillor, these scans are only provided at the discretion of the obstetrician or through private healthcare providers.
“This routine scan can determine if the newborn child should be delivered in a territory centre so as to ensure the best chance of corrective surgery upon birth, such as cleft pallets, cleft lips and minor heart condi- tions,” he said.
The HSE does not have any plans to introduce the anomaly scan as part of a woman’s pre-natal check ups however.
“The maternity services in the midwest are not in a position to provide a 20-week ‘anomaly’ scan as a routine measure. However, far from it being provided at the discretion of a consultant, women with a high risk of an anomaly are referred for a 20-week detailed anatomy ultrasound, which is provided by a cohort of our obstetricians/gynaecologists who specialise in foetal medicine. There are four such consultants in the mid-west,” said the local HSE spokesperson.
“This service is not provided on a private basis,” he added.
Cllr O’Shea is adamant that in the interest of safety for the mother and child, such a scan should be introduced, and soon.
“There is a major disparity here between international antenatal care standards. For example, in the UK, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommends that all women undergo a two-scan regime. Women in other European countries receive an average of four to five scans during pregnancy. In 2010, Prof Fergal Malone, Royal College Surgeons Ireland and Master of the Rotunda, agreed that a two-scan regime should be available,” he said.
“I have been contacted by expectant mothers who do not have the means to pay for anomaly scans and who feel discriminated against as they live outside Dublin.
He continued, “These routine anomaly scans are presently only provided under the HSE at the Rotunda Hospital and the National Maternity Hospitals in Dublin. There is an equality issue here, as expectant mothers in Clare attending the Mid West Regional Maternity hospital in Limerick are not provided with the scan, and it is only available at the discretion of the obstetrician or through private healthcare providers.”