Infant who died after transfer was parents’ first

A baby who died after being transferred from Cavan General Hospital to a neonatal unit in Dublin is understood to have been the firstborn of the couple involved.

Health service sources said their understanding was that the couple are living in Co Meath and the baby was overdue. It is thought a natural delivery was hoped for but that as labour progressed, it became an instrumental birth, meaning forceps delivery or vacuum extraction became required.

A decision was then made to deliver the baby by caesarean section. The baby was critically ill when born, but is not thought to have had any congenital abnormalities.