Cot death recommendations

Press, 14 January 1986, Page 5

Cot death recommendations

PA Wellington The National Cot Death Steering Committee has recommended that district child mortality review committees be established to monitor cot deaths. The committee’s 30-page report, given yesterday by the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett, says cot deaths continue to occur at alarmingly high levels. One of its proposals is for district committees to be established, supported, and maintained by the Health Department. The steering committee suggests that general practitioners, pathologists, pediatricians, Plunket Society and Public Health Nursing Division personnel be represented on the committees. The need for education programmes is strongly featured in the report which suggests also linking mothers with support groups before they leave maternity hospitals. The steering committee suggests such programmes should be designed and pro-

moted primarily towards populations identified as at high risk to neonatal deaths. It recommends that these programmes teach the need for early antenatal care, emphasise the need for regular post-natal infant care, promote child-bearing at the optimum age, discourage smoking, and promote breast-feeding and immunisation at the recommended time.

Included in the report is a suggestion that the Health Department establish a new medical administration post, to co-ordinate the committee’s proposals. A suggestion is made for child care and parenthood to be taught as a School Certificate subject.

Dr Bassett said certain aspects of the report related well to existing departmental policy. The department had recently promoted policies emphasising health education for parenthood, discouraging smoking and alcohol consumption, and

promoting breastfeeding and immunisation. The report reflected that cot death was a mystery illness for which there was no magic cure. “All along this Government has been anxious to give cot death the priority it deserves,” Dr Bassett said. “New Zealand’s unsatisfactory statistics must be improved.” The report resulted from a petition presented to

Parliament in 1984. The steering committee members are: Professor John Dower (chairman), Department of Pediatrics, University of Auckland; Dr John Barry, pediatrician, Christchurch Hospital; Mr Jim Fraser, Deputy Chief Health Statistician, National Health Statistics Centre, Wellington; Dr lan Hassall, Deputy Director of Medical Services, Plunket Society, Auckland; Dr Murray Lau-

gesen, Principal Medical Officer, Health Department, Wellington; Mrs Sue Loader, cot death parent and counsellor, Cot Death Society, Wellington; Mrs Alison McDonald, Welfare and Information Committee, Cot Death Division, Auckland; Dr Shirley Tonkin, Medical Officer (Special Duties), Department of Health, Auckland and Mrs Lorraine Webb, cot death parent and chief organiser cot death petition, Palmerston North.