Midwife unnecessarily broke woman’s waters, court hears

A woman who claims her waters were unnecessarily artificially broken by a midwife in a hospital, leading to a situation where she had to have an emergency caesarean procedure, has sued for damages.

Ciara Hamilton told a High Court judge she was "absolutely terrified" at Kerry General Hospital as she was rushed on her bed along corridors and into a lift with a midwife holding up the head of her unborn baby.

It is claimed an emergency situation arose — a cord prolapse — after waters were artificially broken and Ms Hamilton had to be rushed to an operating theatre. At one stage on the journey which “seemed to go on forever” along corridors, she had to pull the midwife up onto the bed beside her after they were told they were not going fast enough.

Ciara Hamilton (30), Brackhill, Castlemaine, Co Kerry has sued the HSE over her care at Kerry General Hospital, Tralee, when she was having her second baby in 2011.

It is claimed, as a consequence of the Caesarean section, Ms Hamilton suffered and continues to suffer personal injuries loss and damage.

It is further claimed there was an alleged inappropriate interference in the progress of Ms Hamilton’s labour by the performance of the artificial rupture of the membranes which allegedly caused the complication of cord prolapse to occur.

It is further claimed the artificial rupture of the membranes set in train a chain of events which ultimately allegedly resulted in Ms Hamilton suffering personal injuries.

The claims are denied and the High Court heard the mid-wife in the case will say she discussed the artificial rupture of the membranes with Ms Hamilton and that her rationale was a concern for the health of the child.

Mr Justice Sean Ryan was told the issue was whether there was any justification for carrying out the artificial rupture of the membranes.

Ms Hamilton’s baby boy was born safe and well by caesarean section.

In evidence, Ms Hamilton said she was admitted to Kerry General hospital on June 9th, 2011. A midwife said she was going to check her but she ruptured the membranes, she said.

The midwife started to shout that the patient had a cord prolapse and an alarm sounded, Ms Hamilton said. She said people descended on the room and rushed her out, wheeling her bed. When she passed her husband, she did not know if she would see him again, she said.

There was “a significant distance” to travel to the operating theatre, it was “terrifying”, she said. “I thought one of us was going to die.” Afterwards, she had six to eight nightmares a night replaying the hospital scene around the birth, she said.

The case continues today.