Birth Injuries More Common During Night Shift

by John McKiggan

My colleague, Ches Crosbie recently posted about an American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology report that studied medical charts for more than two millions births in California over a 14 year period. According to the study children born between the hours of 10 PM and 4 AM were 22% more likely to develop cerebral palsy.

Ches suggested:

Hospitals already have issues with staff shortages and fatigued workers, so it makes sense to me that these problems might be worse during the “graveyard shift”.

I couldn’t agree more. See for example Distractions & Interruptions Lead to Nursing Errors.

Ches’s link reminded me of an article I posted about last year:
Beware the July Effect:Hospital Deaths Spike in Summertime

Teaching hospitals experience higher rates of medical errors and deaths in the summertime, when medical students start their hospital training.

Night time or summertime; when medical or nursing staff are tired, over worked or inexperienced, it can only lead to more medical errors.

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