S.L. 458.23 Art. 10Natal care.

Where antenatal, intranatal or postnatal care is given at a clinic, the following provisions shall moreover apply:

(1) A registered midwife shall be in charge of all midwifery services and may, in respect of midwifery services only, act as person in charge for the purposes of regulation 5. In any case a practising midwife shall be present on duty at all times maternity care is provided.

(2) (a) The person in charge should make certain that adequate general and specialist medical cover is provided as needed.

(b) Adequate arrangements shall exist for obtaining obstetric, paediatric, anesthetic and any other necessary help in an emergency situation.

(c) Where epidural anesthesia is to be offered to women in labour, this should be carried out by an anesthetist trained in this procedure.

(3) (a) Where maternity beds are provided in a clinic they shall be so designated and shall not, unless these are single rooms, be used to accommodate any other type of patient. Maternity patients shall not share rooms with patients who are not in the clinic for obstetric care.

(b) No mentally disordered patient, alcoholic or drug abuser may be accommodated in the section reserved for maternity patients unless such patient requires maternity care; in such case she shall be given separate accommodation.

(c) Adequate sanitary and bathroom facilities reserved for the sole use of maternity patients shall be provided. Grab rails and nurse call systems shall be included, and where practicable showers and bidets.

(d) Nursery accommodation shall be made available as well as adequate facilities for the preparation as may be necessary of infant formula or other breast milk substitute.

(e) Single rooms shall be present for maternity cases which have special needs.

(f) Delivery rooms shall be adequately sound-proofed.

(g) Emergency electrical supplies shall extend to delivery rooms, nurseries and to any operating theatre.

(4) (a) Resuscitation equipment for new-born babies shall be provided.

(b) When deliveries are being conducted, anesthetic and suction machines shall be available.

(c) Each infant shall have its own cradle of approved design, thermometer and bath.

(d) Each patient shall be provided with a comfortable nursing chair.

(5) The licensee shall in addition to the records referred to under regulation 11(1), keep a case record of each child born to a patient in the clinic, which record shall include the following particulars:

(a) details of the weight and condition of child at birth;

(b) a daily statement of the child’s health;

(c) details of each of any of the following paediatric examinations, if carried out:

(i) examination for congenital abnormalities;

(ii) measurement of circumference of the head of the child;

(iii) measurement of the length of the child;

(iv) screening for phenylketonuria or other screening for congenital disorder.

(6) T'he following additional particulars shall be included on the register of patients kept at the clinic in respect of maternity patients:

(a) the date and time of delivery of each patient, the number of children born to the patient, their sex and whether born alive or dead;

(b) the estimated period of gestation prior to delivery;

(c) the name and qualifications of the person who delivered the patient;

(d) the date and the time of any miscarriage occurring in the clinic, including the period of gestation prior to miscarriage;

(e) the date on which any child born to a patient in the clinic left the clinic; and

(f) if any child born to a patient died in the clinic, the date, time and cause of death.

(7) The provisions of regulation 11(2), (3), (4) and (5) shall apply to these records. mutatis mutandis

(8) The provisions of this regulation and, as applicable, of the other regulations, shall apply to any premises licensed as a maternity home.