THE POOR condition at birth of a baby boy who died as a result of brain damage due to lack of oxygen “would be best explained” by “issues” which occurred during labour and delivery, an inquest heard yesterday. After the inquest, the parents expressed their frustration with the process.
Baby Nathan Molyneaux of Columbas Place, Tullamore, Co Offaly, was born at Portlaoise General Hospital on July 27th, 2008 in poor condition.
He never recovered and died seven days later of brain damage due to lack of oxygen to the brain, known as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, at the Coombe hospital, Dublin on August 2nd, 2008. The death was not reported to the coroner’s office at the time and no postmortem was carried out.
The inquest opened on October 19th and was adjourned so coroner Dr Brian Farrell could read an expert report. Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard there were variable decelerations – temporary drops in the foetal heart rate – during the first stage of labour, with a prolonged second stage and a difficult delivery with a number of attempts.
There was no evidence of any pre-existing abnormality of the brain or heart to explain the baby’s condition at birth, the inquest heard. There was no evidence of pre-existing concerns in relation to the pregnancy.
Dr Farrell told the inquest there were intrapartum issues – issues which occurred during labour and delivery – which caused the lack of oxygen.
He said the variable decelerations and the difficult vaginal delivery were “significant”.
Relying on the clinical evidence, Dr Farrell recorded a narrative verdict giving the cause of death as severe hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy – or brain damage due to lack of oxygen to the brain – with critical brain infarction or stroke and neonatal seizures.
Counsel for the family Anna O’Connor called on the coroner to bring in a verdict of death by medical misadventure.
“The baby died as a result of foetal distress early in labour, which was not addressed, which was allowed to continue . . . such as to increase the distress . . . and cause the baby to be born in a shocking condition.”
But Dr Farrell said he had to be seen to reflect the evidence heard in court. “I don’t have an autopsy report,” he said.
“This came to me later when the hospital attempted to register the death and so I don’t have a paediatric autopsy. In this kind of case I would always direct an autopsy . . . I’m hampered by that,” he said.
He said he has been in touch with the maternity hospitals in relation to reportable deaths. He expressed his condolences to baby Nathan’s mother and father, Natasha Molyneaux and Allen Rudge Finnamore, and to Ms Molyneaux’s stepfather, Peter Doyle, who were in court.
The couple have a seven-week old daughter, Kacey-Lee.
Speaking after the inquest Ms Molyneaux said they don’t feel they’ve “got any answers”.
“He was perfect the whole way through the pregnancy and for my life to change completely in a few hours . . . when I had Nathan and he was so ill and my life was changed. When he died my world was turned upside down.”
“They don’t know how it feels to walk up to a grave everyday . . . and to have to drop a Christmas present up to a grave . . . to look at my daughter and not have my son there. Nathan should be 17 months old now and he should be running around,” she added.