A FIERCE national debate on childbirth - ignited when the Royal College of Midwives abandoned its Campaign for Normal Birth earlier this month - has been labelled "divisive" by the expert behind an investigation into the Morecambe Bay maternity scandal.

Dr Bill Kirkup, who conducted the investigation into the deaths of women and babies at Barrow's Furness General Hospital over a nine-year period, waded into the row over "normal births" this week.

He said bickering among the medical community over whether one type of birth was better than another was not helpful and could even result in placing women at risk of harm in the future.

Writing in the Health Service Journal, Dr Kirkup said: "It is vital that we stop polarising this argument, and drop the scaremongering claims on both sides.

"If we continue to bicker, those most harmed will be the women and babies we are all trying to help."

The RCM's Campaign for Normal Birth was launched in 2005 and supplied advice and literature that favoured "natural deliveries" without intervention.

Included in the advice for midwives was adopting a "wait and see" approach during labour and to trust their instincts.

It drew criticism from the families of those who lost loved ones at FGH between 2004 and 2013 when the Morecambe Bay investigation concluded a group of midwives pursued natural childbirth "at all costs".

The scrapping of the campaign has since sparked a social media backlash among some midwives and maternity professionals who argue it will result in more pregnant women undergoing C-sections.

But Dalton resident James Titcombe, who had urged the RCM to abandon its campaign in favour of women being offered clear and equal advice about all types of births, claims he has been inundated with messages of support from across the UK.

Mr Titcombe, whose son Joshua died following failures in his care in 2008, said: "I'm certainly not put off by any hostility from a small minority who refuse to step back and see the big picture - and who have become indoctrinated by ideology.

"For every negative message I have received, there have been 100 more saying this is the right thing to do.

"Many have been from midwives who want to be supported to make evidence based decisions during childbirth and who want to see a more balanced message given to women.

"This is not about favouring one birth over another, it is simply about making sure women are informed and can make choices themselves without being made to feel they have failed in any way."

The Morecambe Bay Investigation:

:: The investigation was chaired by Dr Bill Kirkup and published in 2015.

:: Dr Kirkup concluded 11 babies and one mother died needlessly at Furness General Hospital between 2004 and 2013.

:: He found a group of midwives were known to 'push past' safe limits in childbirth to achieve a natural birth 'at all costs'.

:: The Royal College of Midwives launched its normal birth campaign in 2005.

:: RCM president Cathy Warwick said this month she did not believe the campaign was to blame for deaths at FGH. But she conceded it had contributed to making women gave birth with medical intervention or via c-sections feel like failures.