Ellen Coyne, in The Times Ireland edition, reports:

“Babies are dying because of a chronic lack of access to 20-week ultrasound scans, an Irish obstetrics expert has warned.”

“Louise Kenny, professor at University College Cork, said that doctors felt “haunted” because they were forced to choose which women would have access to the scans. The procedure identifies major and in some cases life-threatening problems with organ development.”

“Ms Kenny told TDs yesterday that mortality rates increased when medical teams did not know about foetal defects before birth. She said that complicated procedures to save the lives of babies were being performed at the last minute in ambulance journeys between Cork and specialist units in Dublin.”

“Only four of the country’s 19 maternity hospitals routinely offer ultrasound scans at 20 to 22 week, also known as foetal anomaly scans.”

Members of the Oireachtas health committee were told that the lack of access to the procedure was disproportionately punishing poorer women. A private scan costs about €200.

Babies ‘are dying over ultrasound access’ (The Times Ireland edition)