Shropshire Star

Baby death mother's wishes 'ignored' at hospital, Shropshire inquest told

A newborn baby died at at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital amid claims his mother's wishes to have a Caesarean section were repeatedly ignored, an inquest heard.

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Oliver Smale died less than a day after being born at the hospital on March 13, an inquest in Shrewsbury was told.

The baby, whose shoulders became stuck during a forceps delivery, was pale and had to be resuscitated after failing to respond.

The inquest heard that his condition deteriorated and his parents agreed to turn off his life support machine.

His family claim that if Oliver had been delivered via Caesarean section he would have survived.

The inquest was told that a post-mortem examination had revealed the cause of death as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy – a brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain, together with shoulder dystocia and being the infant of a gestational diabetic mother.

In a statement read to the inquest, Oliver's mother, Rowena Smale, of Caradoc View, in Hanwood, near Shrewsbury, said she had been concerned about giving birth because Oliver was so big and was scheduled to have a Caesarean section in April.

But she started having contractions on March 12 and went to hospital with her husband Daniel.

She said she was given an epidural and requests were made for a Caesarean section, but instead Oliver was born via a forceps delivery.

Mrs Smale, who also suffers with epilepsy, said: "I felt my wishes were ignored."

Her mother Myrtle Trevor, who is also a midwife, had been at the hospital with the couple and gave evidence at yesterday's hearing.

She said the couple had repeatedly asked for a Caesarean section and claimed her daughter had not been given a choice about having the forceps delivery.

She said: "I firmly believe if Rowena had had a Caesarean section, Oliver would be here with the family today."

Doctors from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust have claimed they tried to do everything they could to reduce potential risks to Mrs Smale and her baby.

Dr Jane Panikkar, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, told coroner Mr John Ellery that medics believed the safest option was to see if Oliver's birth could progress as normal.

She said Mrs Smale had been booked in for a Caesarean section but went into labour weeks before it was due to go ahead.

Giving evidence, Dr Panikkar said documentation detailing mother Mrs Smale's birthing requests showed she was "keen" for a normal birth if she was admitted spontaneously.

She had been booked in for a Caesarean section but went into labour a few weeks before it was due to go ahead.

Dr Panikkar said it had seemed like the safest option to see if things could progress normally and claimed the couple did not make a request for a Caesarean section during their initial meeting.

The inquest was told that Dr Panikkar was informed that Mrs Smale wanted a Caesarean section following a discussion between the couple and another doctor.

But she added that when she went to examine Mrs Smale she was progressing well and it was too late.

Dr Panikkar explained: "The risks of a Caesarean section could no longer be justified."

She said she explained the risks and Mrs Smale changed her mind, leading to a delivery using forceps.

She told the inquest: "My management was based on Rowena's individual risk factors, my clinical experience and the best available evidence base I had."

But in a statement read to the coroner's court, Rowena's husband Daniel Smale said his wife had previously been told by doctors she would be able to have the kind of birth she wanted.

He said she had agreed to try and have a normal birth if she went into labour early, although said she would prefer a Caesarean section.

Mr Smale said: "I feel that our wishes as parents to have a Caesarean section were ignored.

"We were told we could have the delivery we wanted. That right was taken away from us."

The inquest, which is due to last up to three days, continues.

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