It’s a time of year for nice surprises and Margaret O’Driscoll of the Neonatal Unit at Cork University Maternity Hospital was on the receiving end when she was rewarded for her work, not least for her efforts with a premature baby boy.

Plans to routinely offer all pregnant women a scan to detect fetal abnormalities should not take years to implement, a leading obstetrician has said.

The national rollout of a €35m IT system designed to improve care for mothers and babies has been put on hold until a digital link is in place that will allow electronic sharing of data between maternity hospitals and GPs.

A husband and wife wept as they recalled bringing their baby home in a tiny white coffin after his death from a devastating brain injury suffered during birth.

There is no easy way to tell parents at any stage of pregnancy that their baby has a severe fetal abnormality and may die in the hours or days after birth. But delivering a late diagnosis only adds to the trauma and grief. So say the doctors and parents who spoke to Health Correspondent Catherine Shanahan about the importance of a 20-week fetal anomaly scan.

A new clinical director for maternity services is to be appointed to the South/South West Hospital group where more than 4,200 women are awaiting outpatient appointments for gynaecological services.

Health Minister Simon Harris is to meet with consultants at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) in the new year amid fears that women face delayed cancer diagnoses on foot of difficulties accessing timely gynaecological services.

Minister Simon Harris received letters in May and October about the state of gynaecology services at CUMH but did nothing, writes Health Correspondent Catherine Shanahan

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

The first monthly safety statements published for all 19 of the country’s maternity units show widely differing levels of births by caesarian section as well as perinatal mortality rates.

He was “skin and bone” when he arrived but it was “just a matter of fattening him up”, says Gráinne Foley, whose second son John clocked in at 2lbs 4oz — 12 weeks shy of his due date.

Collette O’Toole hoped she would get a few hours with her baby after she was born. Sadly, Isabelle didn’t make it that far, writes Noel Baker

There could well be birthday candles on the Christmas cake in Rachel Harte’s house from now on — as a happy reminder of the dramatic roadside birth of her baby girl Sienna on Christmas Day.

It was a case of ‘Call the Midwife’, not once but twice.

€270,000

A Cork couple was celebrating last night after the dramatic birth of their baby son in a car near the Jack Lynch tunnel early yesterday.

Maria Moulton leaned on husband Jimmy’s lap and stared into her daughters’ doll house in the family sitting room as she gave birth to her third daughter, Maggie.

DOWN to just under €240,000, this four-bed end-of-terrace house at 87 Eagle Valley, Wilton, Cork (pictured) is ready to go for new owners. The vendors have moved out and selling agent Brendan Bowe of Bowe Property says they’re keen to sell, so he’s open to offers.

THE parents of former conjoined twins Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf have admitted they used to hide their sons under a blanket before they were successfully separated.

MY wife suffered a serious gynaecological condition and was transferred in mid surgery from Cork University Maternity Hospital to the adjacent CUH where she was treated for several hours by gynaecological and radiology teams.

AN obstetrician has told a court hearing into the death of an infant who died after what appeared a normal delivery at home that home births should not take place more than half an hour away from a hospital.

A seriously ill one-day-old baby has been flown from Cork to England for life-saving treatment.

ABOVE the giddy jingling of New Year’s bells rose the noisy jangle of newborn howls as maternity hospitals around the country kick-started the business of delivering babies in 2008.

A CORK-BASED architectural practice has scooped four accolades, including the top prize at the Institute of Designers in Ireland Awards.

After a week of farce and frustration, the first mothers and babies arrived at Cork University Maternity Hospital for the birth of a new era in maternity care, writes Catherine Shanahan

HEALTH managers moved yesterday to ease fears over midwifes who have promised they will boycott the opening of the country’s newest maternity hospital over staffing levels.