TWO CONSULTANT obstetricians have told an inquest into the death of a baby boy deprived of oxygen during labour at a Dublin hospital that a Caesarean section should have been carried out much earlier.
Baby Senan Michael Christopher Dodd, of Sandyford, Dublin 18, was born by emergency Caesarean section at Mount Carmel Hospital in Churchtown on March 28th, 2008. There was a delay in performing a Caesarean section and the baby suffered severe brain damage due to oxygen deprivation, Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard. He died at the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin on March 30th, 2008.
In evidence at an inquest yesterday, two consultants, Dr Gerry Rafferty and Dr Valerie Donnelly, acknowledged there should have been a much earlier Caesarean section. Dr Rafferty said he contributed to the delay in delivering the baby and expressed his “profound apologies” to the baby’s parents, David and Roberta Dodd.
Midwife Philomena Beglan told the court she called Dr Rafferty to review Roberta at 4.45pm on March 28th, due to lack of progress of labour, following an hour of active pushing. The doctor said he gave the parents the option of a Caesarean section or epidural with syntocinon (to speed up labour), after an examination and considering the trace of the foetal heartbeat (ctg). Syntocinon and an epidural were administered.
But the doctor failed to look back at the ctg record, which indicated a slow heart rate at 2.45pm and another slow rate after pushing began. He accepted he should have looked back on the record and said there were “a number of systems failures”. He told the inquest it was his mistake to offer an epidural with syntocinon and he should have “been more direct and said a C-section was the way to go”.
Dr Donnelly, who took over from Dr Rafferty, reviewed Mrs Dodd at about 6.20pm after a prolonged slow foetal heart rate. Dr Donnelly proceeded and recommenced the syntocinon, although it had been turned off by the midwife preparing for a C-section.
“I regret I did not deliver Dodd by C-section at that point. I believe my delay in making the decision to deliver him by Caesarean section has contributed to his death,” said Dr Donnelly. Coroner Dr Brian Farrell recorded a verdict of death by medical misadventure.