The high infant mortality rate in the Netherlands is due to failures in the risk screening system, according to Erasmus University researchers.

Around one in 100 babies in the Netherlands dies shortly before or after birth, one of the highest rates in Europe. In some 80% of cases, the baby is handicapped, has a too low birth weight or is born too early.
This is because some 25% of risky pregnancies in the Netherlands are not identified, the researchers said in the weekend Volkskrant. They want midwives and doctors to work together more closely during the entire pregnancy.
Midwives
At the moment in the Netherlands midwives have primary care of expectant mothers and are charged with forwarding risky cases to specialists.
‘In the countries around us, pregnant women are continually monitored because something could go wrong,’ said midwifery professor Eric Steegers. ‘In the Netherlands we have to get rid of the idea that [the pregnancy] will probably be fine.’
For example, smoking is a major cause of low birth weight in babies and experts believe some 25% of women continue to smoke during pregnancy. But the official files show fewer than 1% of women admit to smoking, so the risk is not identified.
Home births
Another problem is that women in the Netherlands are allowed to give birth at home from 37 weeks, but babies born so early are three times more likely to die than those which went full term, the professors say.
Labour MPs have urged caretaker health minister Ab Klink to reform the current relationship between midwives and gynaecologists. Khadija Arib has also asked Klink to look again at the assertion that a home birth is the best option for a large number of women.
She also wants the government to launch a new public information campaign warning of the dangers of smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy.