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HEALTH

Swedish midwives launch course on giving birth in cars

Two Swedish midwives have launched a course teaching expectant parents how to act if they have to go through the process of giving birth in a car, as the impending closure of a maternity ward means the journey to the nearest maternity unit will soon become far greater.

Published: 16 January 2017 11:39 CET
Updated: 16 January 2017 17:36 CET
Swedish midwives launch course on giving birth in cars
Sparsely populated, the distance between towns in northern Sweden can be significant. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

The closure of the maternity ward in Sollefteå, northern Sweden, at the end of January means that expectant mothers in the area will soon have to travel to Örnsköldsvik or Sundsvall, both of which are around a hundred kilometres away.

In order to try and help pregnant women feel more secure, two midwives at the ward which is closing have launched a course on what to do if the process of childbirth begins during a long car journey.

“If you think that it will be something between 120 and 200 kilometres to the nearest maternity ward, and it’s winter, it’s dark, there’s a bad mobile signal, anything can happen on the way. Car accidents, the car could break down, you maybe drive off the road. You have to be ready, and the worst could happen even if it is very, very uncommon,” course leader and midwife Stina Näslund told The Local.

The course will cover the practicalities of making a long journey with someone who is close to giving birth, and even what to do if labour begins.

“Keep in mind that a quick delivery may be needed for a first time mother. That’s a challenge. Our municipality is huge,” Näslund explained.

The midwife said that the reaction has been surprisingly large since the course was announced on Friday afternoon, with people contacting via e-mail and telephone, and both domestic and international media asking about it.

“We have always had a maternity ward in Sollefteå, so this it will be new for the area when the ward closes in two weeks. It’s an economic question: they think they will save millions of kronor by closing the ward. For me, personally, it feels like they are cutting the lifeblood of a society,” Näslund noted.

Sweden’s stretched natal care has been a high-profile subject in recent years following stories related to the scarcity of beds at hospitals and women being turned away due to a lack of space.

In December, a pregnant woman died in the emergency room of a hospital after spending the night there because there were no free beds in the neurology ward.

And in July, a baby died after a clinic in southern Sweden sent a heavily pregnant woman home despite showing signs of pre-eclampsia, due to a lack of space.

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HEALTH

Should you take vitamin D supplements if you live in Sweden?

Shorter days make it much harder to get enough vitamin D during the colder months of the year in Sweden. Is it worth taking supplements during the winter?

Published: 13 September 2024 10:03 CEST
Should you take vitamin D supplements if you live in Sweden?

Vitamin D is a vital nutrient for overall health and well-being, and most people are aware that it can be absorbed via sunlight. 

Sunlight isn’t in abundance in Sweden during the winter. A lot of places across the country only get a few hours a day, typically during working hours, when the majority of the population are inside at work or school.

This makes it much harder to get enough vitamin D. A deficiency can lead to several health problems in the long run, like muscle weakness and cramps, fatigue and depression. In extreme cases, it can cause rickets in children (known as engelska sjukan, English illness, in Swedish).

Where else can I get vitamin D from?

Aside from sunlight, vitamin D is primarily found in fatty fish, roe and fish liver, as well as red meat, egg yolks and liver. Around 100 grams of salmon or herring provides enough vitamin D to cover your daily intake. 

Vitamin D is also added to several foods in Sweden, such as milk, yoghurt, butter, as well as their non-dairy alternatives. The nutritional label on food packaging will state how much has been added. 

If you are unable to incorporate these foods into your diet, or if you spend a lot of time inside or with your skin covered, then you will probably need to turn to supplements. 

How much should I take a day?

According to the Swedish Food Agency, children and most adults should consume at least 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day, rising to 20 micrograms per day for over-70s as well as people who rarely have sun on their skin.

Most people get enough vitamin D through their food, but the agency does recommend supplements for some groups.

For the following groups, it recommends taking 10 micrograms of vitamin D supplements per day (you may also see supplements measured in IE, in which case 10 micrograms is equivalent to 400 IE).

  • Children under two 
  • People who don’t eat fish 
  • People who don’t eat food with added vitamin D (such as milk, butter, and non-dairy alternatives)
  • People who eat neither fish nor food with added vitamin D
  • People with little or no exposure to the sun
  • People who are pregnant or breastfeeding 

The following groups should take 20 micrograms (800IE) a day:

  • Over-75s
  • People with little or no exposure to the sun, who also don’t eat fish or food with added vitamin D.

If you spend time outdoors in the sun during the summer months, you don’t need to take supplements between May and August.

There are also upper limits to the amount of vitamin D you should take, so don’t be tempted to take extra if you’ve missed a few days.

Children up to the age of 11 should take no more than 50 micrograms per day, while anyone over the age of 11 should take no more than 100 micrograms per day.

Where can I buy it?

You should be able to get hold of vitamin D supplements at health stores, pharmacies and larger supermarkets. Search for D-vitamintillskott if buying online. Parents of children under two should be given liquid vitamin D drops for their child for free at their child health centre.

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