Parents may sue over death of handicapped baby

THE country’s leading children’s hospital could be facing a major negligence claim after a coroner’s court in Dublin yesterday ruled that a 15-month-old baby with Down Syndrome died as a result of medical misadventure.

An inquest into the death of Megan Neary of Leinster Avenue, North Strand, Dublin, heard that a feeding tube had been incorrectly fitted into the baby girl at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin last January.

A pathology report said Megan's death was caused by the leaking of the contents of the feeding tube into an abdominal cavity instead of her stomach.

Megan's father, Anthony Neary yesterday said his daughter, despite being born with Down Syndrome and spending long periods of her short life in hospital, had never been in better health just before she died.

He said: "Megan had an awful history of illness between heart and stomach operations. When we took Megan home from hospital in November (2002), she was thriving. Last September it was looking like we were going to lose her and she pulled through. I felt if she'll survive that, she'll survive anything.

"She had gained weight. She had begun smiling, which she had not done for some time. She wasn't sick and then 12 hours later, she is dead."

Megan was pronounced dead on January 11 last just hours after undergoing a gastrostomy an operation to make a permanent opening in the stomach for the introduction of food at Our Lady's Hospital.

She had been brought there the previous day after her parents had been unable to re-insert a button on top of a feeding tube after it had fallen out overnight.

Anthea Bryce-Smith, a clinical nurse who attended Megan, said she had also been unable to refit the device as the stoma (surface opening on the skin) had become partially closed. Ms Bryce-Smith said she referred the Nearys to the hospital's emergency department as she believed Megan might require surgery to replace the tube.

At an adjourned hearing earlier this month, the senior registrar at Our Lady's, Felim Murphy, gave evidence of refitting the device without further surgery. He recalled taking extra care to ensure the tube rotated freely, which indicated it had been fitted properly. "It's a routine procedure that unfortunately had terrible consequences," said Mr Murphy.

Pathologist Dr Deirdre Devaney said an autopsy revealed that the last section of the tract into which the feeding tube was to be placed appeared to have bounced off the stomach wall and veered off slightly into an abdominal cavity.

Dublin City Coroner, Dr Brian Farrell returned a verdict of death by medical misadventure, after ruling a verdict of death by either natural causes or accident would be inappropriate.

It is understood Megan's parents, who are expecting the birth of their fourth child next month, are considering taking a civil action against Our Lady's over their daughter's death.

The family declined to comment on yesterday's verdict.