The roadside arrival of Millfield baby Ivy Earl made national headlines last week, after her family had a touching reunion with the Triple Zero call-taker who assisted her parents through the birth.
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Ivy (pictured above with her parents Jarrad and Aimie) was born on the front seat of her dad’s ute on Old Maitland Road on April 10, on the way to Maitland Hospital.
It’s not a unique case in the Cessnock area, where NSW Ambulance has attended at least 17 out-of-hospital births since 2015.
And another 18 babies have been born in the emergency department of Cessnock Hospital since the maternity ward closed in May 2003 (the most recent in February this year).
Only two local GPs were delivering babies at Cessnock Hospital at the time, and many women were choosing to give birth out of town.
Births had dropped from 179 in 1994/95 to about 60 in the year leading up to April 2003.
Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr said he is frequently asked about the possibility of the Cessnock maternity ward reopening, and that he will put that very question to the Health Minister.
However, Mr Barr said it is important that the local community recognises the chances of the Cessnock maternity ward being reopened are “very low”.
“To have a maternity ward in 2018 you need to have specialist trained staff, facilities and equipment, you also need a modern operating theatre capable of doing an emergency caesarean and you need to have the special surgical staff on hand for the same reason,” he said.
“There is also the need to have neo-natal equipment in the event of a premature birth.
“These many, varied and expensive practical reasons have been behind the decision to close down maternity wards.
“But most crucial is the scarce number of properly trained medical staff and their willingness to work in regional communities.”
Mr Barr said he doesn’t want to “unreasonably raise expectations”.
“Of course I want the very best for the people of this region, including their maternity needs,” he said.
“Giving birth on the side of the road, whether with the assistance of a paramedic or by your own hand, can be a really frightening and dangerous outcome.
“The chances of the Cessnock Hospital maternity ward, or any of the 20 other maternity wards that have been closed across the state, re-opening is very low.
“But this will be driven by population growth and the age of the growing community.”
Hunter New England Health Lower Hunter Sector manager Di Peers said Maitland Hospital provides the closest maternity service for soon-to-be Cessnock mothers, however the Cessnock Hospital emergency department does provides 24-hour care should expectant mothers require emergency treatment.
“Cessnock Hospital emergency department nurses have undertaken maternity emergency care training and the hospital has the necessary equipment to facilitate emergency births,” she said.
“While Maitland Hospital is the primary facility for maternity services in the Lower Hunter sector, community based post-natal services are offered across the region to help mothers transition home with their newborns.”
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FEBRUARY 2013: Speedy arrival for baby Kathryn
ADVICE
NSW Ambulance offers the following advice for anyone called upon to assist in delivering a baby:
- Dial Triple Zero (000) and ask for ambulance;
- Stay on the line with the call taker who will talk you through the necessary steps;
- Provide mum with assurance that an ambulance is on its way;
- Mum is not to sit on the toilet;
- Make sure mum is in a comfortable position;
- Provisions should include dry towels and a blanket in which to wrap the baby;
- Tell mum to take slow, deep breaths between contractions; continue to reassure her help is on its way;
- When the baby is delivered, gently wipe its mouth and nose. Dry the baby off with the towel and wrap it in a blanket;
- Don’t cut the umbilical cord;
- Make sure mum and baby are both warm; and
- Await arrival of the placenta. When it delivers, wrap it in a towel. The doctor will need to examine it to make sure it’s all out.
