Holles St sees major rise in baby deaths

THE National Maternity Hospital (NMH) at Holles Street in Dublin last year recorded the highest number of perinatal deaths for five years, according to its latest annual clinical report.

There was an overall perinatal mortality rate of 12.3 per 1,000 babies born in the hospital last year, compared to 9.9 per 1,000 in the previous year. And over a quarter of these deaths 27% occurred in non-national patients, according to the Master of the National Maternity Hospital (NMH), Dr Declan Keane.

Perinatal deaths occur in babies over 500 grams during pregnancy or in the first week after birth.