Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth (ABC) is a national initiative commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care in collaboration with the RCM, RCOG and THIS.Institute.
It has been co-designed with maternity service users and healthcare professionals and aims to significantly reduce avoidable brain injuries during childbirth by 2027 through improved clinical practice, teamwork and communication.
The ABC programme focuses on two key clinical challenges:
- Detecting and responding to fetal deterioration during labour (IFD)
- Managing impacted fetal head at caesarean birth (IFH)
By implementing tools alongside structured training, the programme is striving to improve outcomes and experiences for mothers, babies and families across England.
ABC Programme Lead for Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley (HIOTV): Eileen.dudley@healthinnovationoxford.org