Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank both the witnesses for their presentation here today. We have met before at the health committees. Many of us here sit on the Joint Committee on Health where we discussed the national maternity strategy and its under-resourcing and how the outcomes we have in this country are miraculous given the low ratio of obstetricians to patients and the risks associated with our poor scanning. I think it was Professor Kenny from Cork who said one a week cannot be triaged so there are random instances of foetal abnormalities which one would not imagine would happen. We also have one child a week being born in circumstances that are not ideal. Under-resourcing of our maternity services has a massive knock-on effect, as the two witnesses know.

For the benefit of those listening in and members of the committee, will the witnesses clarify why the term "miscarriage" is used before a certain stage in foetal development and "stillbirth" used after? Why do doctors advise women not to announce their pregnancies until after the 12-week scan or the 12-week stage? What percentage of pregnancies end in miscarriage? How is a miscarriage recorded on a woman's medical chart in a hospital? It may be of value to the committee to know that, as a pharmacist, I have dispensed plenty of Misoprostol in my time for people who have diagnosed miscarriages. It has been nailed down by medical professionals such as the witnesses. Therefore, on the idea that Misoprostol is a drug that is not available, it is cheap and it is readily available. Perhaps the witnesses could elaborate on that for the benefit of the members of the committee.

It is obviously an area of specialty, but we have had claims at this committee and in public about foetal heartbeats developing at 21 days and foetuses jumping around. If they could to some extent and as broadly as possible, will they outline when the central nervous system of a baby develops and, with that, the ability to feel or sense things? When does a foetus become sentient? We have spoken about the earliest point at which a child has survived. Was it 24 weeks? I had not considered before the differences in the presentation at 24 weeks, where one could have weights of 700 g or 250 g. That was interesting and something I learned today. That it is not as simple as putting time limits on it is information of great value to the committee.