Body of baby transferred by taxi in Dublin

Girl’s parents discover Temple Street transfer after journalist tries to find them

The parents of a baby girl who died four days after birth discovered that their daughter’s body had been transferred between hospitals by taxi after a newspaper tried to find them.

The driver had contacted a newspaper because he was concerned he was being asked to transport a dead baby.

Shirley Cosgrave and Tom Lawlor, from Clogherhead in Co Louth, said they were told the body had been transferred by taxi from Temple Street hospital only when nurses at the Rotunda Hospital advised them to stay in their ward because reporters from a Sunday newspaper, who had been alerted by a taxi driver, were attempting to establish the identity of the parents.


Postmortem
The parents were speaking following the conclusion of the inquest of Georgina Cosgrave-Lawlor, who died at Temple Street hospital on October 21st, 2010. She was subsequently taken for postmortem to the Rotunda.

READ MORE

Mr Lawlor said that the couple were given no explanation for the taxi transfer.

Ms Cosgrave, who has type-1 diabetes, attended the antenatal diabetic clinic at the Rotunda, run in conjunction with the endocrinology department at the Mater hospital, throughout her pregnancy. She was admitted to hospital for blood stabilisation six times over the period including the 26 days prior to delivery. Ultrasound examinations showed the baby was large. A plan for her insulin regime during labour was put in place in early October.

Ms Cosgrave was induced on the morning of October 17th, a day ahead of schedule, after it was suspected her membranes might have ruptured.


Blood sugars
The inquest previously heard from registrar Dr Seifeldin Yousif that Ms Cosgrave's blood sugars had dropped at 5.45pm and he had contacted the endocrinology registrar at the Mater, who advised immediate treatment and modification of the insulin regime. Her blood sugars dropped again at 8.10pm and further treatment was given.

Dr Naomi Burke, specialist registrar, said that by 8.30pm Ms Cosgrave was in the second stage of labour. However, she complained of feeling weak and faint although her blood sugars remained normal. A vacuum delivery was begun and the head delivered at 9.11pm. However, the shoulder was caught and a number of manoeuvres were required to deliver the baby over the next four minutes. Georgina was born in an unexpectedly poor condition, she said.


Oxygen deprivation
At postmortem, pathologist Dr Emma Doyle found that death was due to multi-organ failure with perforated necrotising enterocolitis after baby Georgina suffered an acute hypoxic event – or period of oxygen deprivation – at birth. The exact cause of this event is not known, she said.

Dr Fionnuala Breathnach, consultant obstetrician at the Rotunda, said that where there is a suspicion of ruptured membranes it would be considered substandard care not to act.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell returned a narrative verdict outlining the facts.