Birth trauma remains a “real taboo” and should be part of the UK government’s women’s health strategy, according to an MP leading an inquiry into the subject.
On Tuesday, the all-party parliamentary group on birth trauma launched an inquiry, led by Conservative MP Theo Clarke and Labour’s Rosie Duffield, to investigate the causes behind traumatic births and develop policy recommendations to reduce the incidence of birth-related trauma. The survey is open to parents and maternity care professionals and is expected to report on its findings in April.
Clarke, the MP for Stafford, said she was “delighted” to see the launch of the first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma, saying the subject was “long overdue” in Parliament.
“I was amazed that we had received submissions in our inbox literally within the first five minutes of announcing the call for evidence on social media, probably the fastest response I have ever had to anything I have had in my career as an MP announced. said Clarke.
“That really shows how incredibly important this issue is and how mothers in Britain feel like they need to be listened to and they want their stories to be heard.”
Clarke was inspired to start the research after she needed emergency surgery and thought she would die after giving birth to her daughter in 2022. “I gave birth to my daughter last year and had a third-degree tear, which is a very important birth . injury, which led to me having to undergo massive surgery,” she said.
According to the Birth Trauma Association, between 25,000 and 30,000 women in the UK experience PTSD after birth. The survey shows that they particularly welcome submissions “from people from marginalized communities, such as those who are racially minority, LGBT, economically disadvantaged, homeless, asylum seekers or displaced, care experience, neurodivergence or other circumstances that mean their voice is less important . are likely to be heard.”
Clarke spoke about her own experiences during a Commons debate on birth trauma in October, saying the response to her speech showed how important the issue was to many people in Britain.
She said: “There is so much focus on the baby after birth that we sometimes forget about the mothers and the fact that they need care too. And when I shared my personal story last year, I was truly amazed at the sheer volume of people who reached out to me from all over the country, sharing their own difficult stories.
“It was very clear to me that there was a real taboo around talking about birth trauma, and people felt they couldn’t share it with friends or colleagues at work if they had had a birth injury or had mental health issues as a result of childbirth. .”
Separately from the research, Clarke has called on the government to consider birth trauma as part of next week’s women’s health strategy update because “it is being recognized and included”.