Water births to resume in Cavan and Drogheda

Water births are expected to resume soon in hospitals in Cavan and Drogheda, more than a year after they were suspended following the death of a baby.

The baby was born alive in the birthing pool facility at Cavan General Hospital in late February 2006. However, complications arose after the delivery and the baby was transferred to a Dublin hospital where it later died.

An internal HSE review of the baby's birth concluded that there was no cause for concern with the care during pregnancy, labour and birth.

As a precautionary measure, however, the HSE Dublin northeast suspended the use of birthing pools at Cavan General and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, to allow an external review to be carried out.

The review, by Sectoral Healthcare, was completed last August and its recommendations are now being implemented, according to a spokeswoman for the HSE Dublin northeast.

"Overall, the report has been extremely complimentary and supportive to the use of water births within the midwifery-led units in the northeast," the spokeswoman said.

The review was conducted by a consultant obstetrician and a midwife.

Their brief was to "look at the policy, protocol and procedures in place in relation to water births, and in particular the adherence to these protocol in the midwifery-led units in Cavan General and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda".

They were also asked "to issue a report on the findings and to detail recommendations relating to these findings and on the future use of birthing pools for childbirth".

The HSE spokeswoman said: "We are currently undergoing a communication process with the multidisciplinary staff in both paediatric and obstetric services and it is likely that a decision regarding the recommencement of water births will be taken in the near future".

The use of the pools for pain relief during labour was not suspended after the incident and they continue to be used in both hospitals. The use of birthing pools is said to reduce pain, relax muscles and ease mother and baby's stress during birth.

The HSE Dublin northeast was the first health board area to provide the birthing pool facility in Cavan and Drogheda.

Before the suspension of water births, about 40 babies had been born in the birthing pool in Drogheda and 10 were born at the Cavan facility.