The call follows the findings of a project, run by Bedfordshire andHertfordshire Strategic Health Authority, to develop health and socialcare roles in order to protect children before and just after birth. Theproject involved six-month secondments of a midwife and a social workerinto each others' agencies as well as widespread consultation with localprofessionals.
The midwife and social worker each reviewed around 40 cases. The reviewsrevealed widely differing perceptions of risk to unborn children amongprofessionals, with social workers and midwives identifying differinglevels of concern around the same families.
Project manager Cath Slater, who wrote the Who's Holding the Baby?report on the initiative, said midwives were often familiar withfamilies' histories and whether they exhibited high-risk behaviour suchalcohol misuse, domestic violence or child abuse. But, she added, theproject highlighted that midwives were often reluctant to ask mothersdifficult questions because they did not want to alienate them.
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