An investigation has been launched into a spike in deaths among newborn babies in Scotland.
Official figures reveal that 21 infants died during September within 28 days of birth, causing the neonatal mortality rate to breach an upper warning threshold known as the ‘control limit’ for the first time in at least four years.
Control and warning limits are designed to flag up to public health teams when neonatal, stillbirth or other infant deaths are occurring at unexpectedly high or low levels which may not be due to chance.
Concerns have previously been raised about the potential impact of Covid on maternity services and maternal wellbeing, but it is the first time since the pandemic began that neonatal deaths have been so abnormally above average. (…)
There is currently no detail on the causes of death involving the 21 infants who died in September.
The period coincided with a surge in A&E attendances for children under five. The trend was largely blamed on an unseasonal spike in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which normally circulates in winter and can cause serious illness – especially in babies and toddlers.
It is clear, however, that none of the deaths were directly linked to Covid.
Read the full article here: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19726487.investigation-launched-abnormal-spike-newborn-baby-deaths-scotland/
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