Letter: Birth rights

There seems to be a continual speculation behind the reasons for Scotland having the highest stillbirth and neo-natal death rate in the European Union ("Record low for Scottish infants' deaths", 25 January).

There is one very clear reason behind this. It simply comes down to the idealist demand by midwives and obstetricians that each and every pregnant woman has to have a "natural birth" - a Utopian vision that is unattainable for many of us.

For centuries, the single biggest reason for the death of women and babies was pregnancy and childbirth.

Other EU countries accepted that there is a need for greater intervention, that is, more scans, more blood tests, earlier induction of labour on or nearer to due dates rather than waiting for the placenta to die and /or babies to grow so big that complicates their deliveries, and the ban of controversial delivery methods in order to avoid Caesarean births.

While midwives and obstetricians retain their idealistic and unrealistic vision, babies will continue to die in Scotland. Evidence ought to trump idealism.

DR BEATRIX FUTAK-CAMPBELL

Alva Street

Edinburgh