The findings of UK birth trauma inquiry show that change is long overdue – here’s what needs to happen now

The birth of a child is usually cause for celebration, but the recent UK birth trauma inquiry report, led by Theo Clarke MP, showed how often it can involve complications that lead to injury or death.

My research, conducted in collaboration with a European network of experts in birth trauma, shows that for around one in three women, the experience of labour is traumatic. One in 25 women develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result, affecting mother, child and wider family members.