The west's main regional hospital has recorded the highest number of births for 20 years, and a slight fall in teenage pregnancies, writes Lorna Siggins
Teenage pregnancies fell by one per cent to three per cent of all deliveries at University College Hospital, Galway last year. This compares to four per cent of mothers in the "teenage" or 15 to 19-year-old category in 2001, the hospital says in its first obstetrics and gynaecology report.
Over 11 per cent of all of last year's deliveries at the hospital were to mothers who are refugees or asylum-seekers, the report notes. This is almost double the number of babies delivered to refugees and asylum-seekers in 2001. Commenting on this statistic, Prof John Morrison, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, said it was having a significant impact on the hospital's workload.
"Many of these mothers present themselves very late, with very little or no English, several weeks or only a week before the child is due," Prof Morrison said. "Some 50 per cent leave the area shortly after the baby is born, while the remaining 50 per cent are provided with accommodation and services."
Western Health Board social workers have taken a series of steps aimed at supporting asylum-seekers including preliminary research on needs and information sessions, the report states. It says the social work unit is building up a network between the hospital and voluntary groups working with asylum-seekers.
The report notes a significant increase in Caesarean section rates to 24 per cent, compared to 16 per cent of all deliveries five years ago. "All the teaching hospitals have higher rates because they are often handling more complex cases, but we do need to get this figure under control," Prof Morrison said. One of the reasons for the increase was a rise in demand by parents, he said.
The episiotomy rate at 46.5 per cent also "needs lowering", he said, but it had already dropped "significantly" from a rate of 65 per cent. Stillbirths represent just over half a per cent of all deliveries, while in 2002 0.37 per cent were early neonatal deaths. This reflects the national average for mortalities, Prof Morrison noted.
Like other teaching hospitals, the hospital carries out screening for amniocentesis, and 32 such tests were carried out in 2002 after appropriate counselling.