By Mario Xuereb
HEALTH minister Browyn Pike launched the all-in-one Victorian Maternity Record last week in the Sunshine Hospital.
The record, trialled first at the hospital, gives expectant mothers a seamless record of their pregnancy in one simple booklet.
Ms Pike said the record proved to be a major success in keeping mothers, their doctors and midwives informed and up-to-date with their condition and progress.
“Women carry the record throughout pregnancy, labour and birth,” Ms Pike said.
“It gives them detailed information and detailed progress, and helps health professionals dealing with the mother to have information readily to hand.”
Ms Pike also took a look at the two new cots in the Sunshine hospital’s special care nursery, which cares for sick or frail babies whose condition is not as critical as those needing intensive care.
There are about 40,000 births every year in Victoria’s public hospitals, and births in those public hospitals increased by 6 per cent over the past 12 months.
