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Pregnancy

Volume 973: debated on Tuesday 13 November 1979

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) on what basis women are determined to be at risk in pregnancy; what advice his Department offers to area health authorities on this subject; and if he will make a statement;(2) if his Department recommends a policy of positive discrimination for

women at risk in pregnancy; if he will publish any recommendations in the

Official Report and if he will make a statement.

Assessing the degree of risk for any individual patient is a matter of clinical judgment for the doctor who is providing her ante-natal care, and it would not be appropriate for the Department to issue guidance on clinical matters or advice about which categories of patients are at increased risk or in need of particular services. However, the medical and social problems of mothers at risk were described in the Health Departments' publication "Reducing the Risk". Deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth are now fortunately rare. The series of "Reports on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in England and Wales" published by the Department, of which the latest covers 1973–1975, discusses the causes of death during pregnancy and childbirth and highlights those instances where there may have been deficiencies in standards of care or administrative arrangements that may have contributed to maternal deaths.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) at what week in pregnancy his Department advises women to attend ante-natal clinics; to what extent such advice is publicised; and if he will make a statement;(2) what studies his Department is conducting to examine the problems of working women attending for ante-natal care at the times set by the Department; and if he will make a statement;(3) what his Department is doing to encourage women to attend the ante-natal clinics at the appropriate time.

I am advised that as soon as a woman thinks she may be pregnant she should consult her doctor or midwife without delay and, if pregnancy is confirmed, attend regularly for ante-natal care. The advantages to both mother and baby were set out in the Health Department's publication "Reducing the Risk", which also emphasised the importance of maintaining and improving the quality of ante-natal services. The responsibility for providing these services rests with health authorities; publicity for and studies into the uptake of ante-natal care are preferably con- ducted locally so that full account may be taken of local circumstances and arrangements. Hospital ante-natal clinics and general practitioners are aware of the particular problems of working women.