Baby death jury told of low risk pregnancy
A woman whose baby lived for just six hours after being born at a Shropshire hospital had been assessed as a low risk pregnancy contrary to a policy document, it was claimed today.
A jury inquest in Bridgnorth was told the hospital document listed reduced foetal movement as one condition which would make a pregnancy high risk. Mother Rhiannon Davies had complained of reduced foetal movement.
She had undergone nine tests over a six-day period for the condition, the inquest was told.
Miss Davies, 38, of Dahn Drive, Ludlow, gave birth to daughter Kate Seren Stanton-Davies at the midwife-led Ludlow Community Hospital on March 1, 2009. The baby was transferred to Birmingham Heartlands Hospital where she died later the same day.
Miss Davies and her husband, Richard Stanton, claim a string of medical and ambulance transfer errors lay behind the death.
Miss Elizabeth Wale, representing the couple, told the inquest today that a policy document listed conditions which would make an expectant mother high risk and one of them was reduced foetal movement.
She said over about two and a half weeks Miss Davies's medical records showed she had nine CTG or cardiotocography tests over six days following reports of reduced foetal movement, two admissions to hospital and about 23 routine appointments, home visits, hospital visits and episodes in which she had taken herself to hospital in Ludlow.
Miss Wale said: "I'm going to suggest to you that is not a very low risk within the normal parameters."
Midwife Hilary Chase-Williamson, who said Miss Davies was low risk according her hospital notes, replied: "I would also say the patient had been seen by many other doctors, many midwives and all those things seemed to be normal at the time."
The hearing had earlier been told baby Kate probably died as a result of a rare condition in pregnancy.
The hearing continues.
