More concerns on fetal scanning

[Posted: Wed 06/04/2011 by Niall Hunter, Editor www.irishhealth.com]

The Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services, Ireland (AIMS Ireland) has called for a full review of fetal scanning procedures and a national guideline for tighter regulation of scanning practices in Ireland.

irishhealth.com revealed yesterday that a Department of Health report had revealed that a total of 24 possible cases of miscarriage misdiagnosis over the past five years have been uncovered to date in a major HSE review.

The HSE established the review last summer after a number of women revealed that they were wrongly told their babies were dead in their womb following fetal scanning. Their babies were saved after the mothers had insisted on a second scan.

The HSE review report is expected to be published shortly.

Krysia Lynch of AIMS Ireland claimed the claimed the inquiry is 'just the tip of the iceberg'.

She said AIMS is eagerly awaiting the full report of the inquiry group. However, Ms Lynch claimed the full extent of concerns relating to scanning practices in Ireland was nowhere near to being exposed.

Ms Lynch said AIMS Ireland relayed concerns to the HSE and HIQA last June following reports from women contacting it during the miscarriage misdiagnosis scandal.

"It became evident very quickly that we were not only talking about scan misdiagnosis in miscarriage. We began hearing stories of all aspects of antenatal scan screening."

Ms Lynch said a recent AIMSI audit revealed an increase in complaints from women on ante-natal scanning misdiagnoses for issues such as gestation prediction, baby size, and placenta complications."

Complaints made to the AIMS group, it said, included "an unnecessary caesarean section," and "failure to re-assess" as well as "scans with largely varying results".

Women's complaints to AIMSI also include unnecessary intervention such as early induction of labour in late pregnancy based on estimated fetal age and infant's size from late trimester scanning, the group said.

AIMS Ireland said all aspects of scanning should have been been included in the HSE inquiry.

24 miscarriage misdiagnosis cases reported