Parents fail to stop blood transfusion

THE parents of a seriously ill baby who may need a blood transfusion to survive yesterday failed in their bid to prevent the transfusion from going ahead if required.

The High Court granted the continuation of an order given to the National Maternity Hospital on Christmas Eve to provide a blood transfusion, despite the boy’s parents’ objections on religious grounds.

The parents, who are from eastern Europe, are both described as devout Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were happy for certain blood products to be used in the treatment of their son, but not for a transfusion.

Described as “Baby B”, the infant was yesterday said to be doing well but Mr Justice Birmingham said that the situation was precarious.

The court heard that the baby’s haemoglobin levels have been dropping and that, if this continues a blood transfusion may be needed.

The baby was born 10 weeks premature on December 20 at a hospital in the midlands.

Consultant neonatologist Mr JFA Murphy told the court yesterday that the baby’s haemoglobin was recorded at 16.8 grammes on December 23 and had fallen to 10.5g by yesterday morning.

He said that while he couldn’t predict what would happen if a child’s haemoglobin fell to between 7g and 8g, there would normally be a blood transfusion. He had never allowed a baby’s level fall below 7g without intervention. The court order is due to be reviewed on March 7.

Originally, the High Court directed that the transfusion should only be made if doctors considered it absolutely necessary to save the baby’s life.

After he was born, the boy was transferred from hospital in the midlands to Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin and then to the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street. At a special sitting of the High Court on Christmas Eve, consultant Mr Murphy told Mr Justice Birmingham that Baby B had developed necrotising enterocolitis involving internal bleeding and was undergoing the highest category of treatment in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Because the child was so small he may require an immediate blood transfusion if he became anaemic.

The court order was sought in case the baby’s condition deteriorated over the Christmas period.

Medical evidence suggested that it was between 90% and 95% probable that the baby would need a blood transfusion, the original hearing heard.