Our client gave birth to a baby boy at the Royal London Hospital in April 2004. He was immediately transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for specialist treatment after his birth and died fifteen days later from complications arising from meconium aspiration. Meconium is the baby’s faeces which can be passed into the amniotic fluid, the baby can then inhale, or aspirate meconium during labour.
Our client had experienced a normal pregnancy. She was admitted to the labour ward at 41 weeks on 3rd April 2004. A midwife started a cardiotocograph (CTG) reading of the baby’s heart rate at 14.00 hours and was concerned that the CTG looked abnormal. The midwife called for the Specialist Registrar (SpR) in Obstetrics to review our client but he did not attend. The midwife also noticed meconium stained amniotic fluid at 15.06 which was a sign of fetal distress and made a further call to the Senior Specialist Registrar (SSpR) to review our client. The doctor was too busy to attend.
Our client was finally seen by the SpR at 17.10 hours. He noted that the CTG was satisfactory and planned a review in two hours. His assessment of the CTG at this time was later criticised by the hospital’s investigation into the tragedy, as he failed to recognise that the CTG was abnormal. Sadly, the baby’s condition continued to deteriorate and the presence of meconium stained amniotic fluid was again noted. Eventually, our client was reviewed by the Labour Ward Co-ordinator at 18.00. A decision was made to perform an emergency caesarean section because there was concern that the baby was in distress.
An emergency caesarean section finally took place at 18.55, there was a delay because of anaesthetic complications. The baby was born in poor condition at birth and required resuscitation by the paediatricians. He was later transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Despite an apology from the hospital our client has been left devastated by the death of her son, and by the failures of the medical staff to implement the hospital’s own clinical guidelines on fetal monitoring. The Hospital Trust criticised the care given to our client in an investigation into the case. It was stated in the investigation report that a decision to deliver the baby should have been made at 15.10 when the presence of meconium was first noted.
Our client continues to be affected by the death of her son, and her family has suffered greatly from his loss.
For more information please contact
Suzanne White on 020 7650 1200.
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