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.

He was delivered last Thursday and subsequently transferred to the neonatal unit of the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, where he died on Saturday.

Initial reports suggested the main theatre was in use when the decision to deliver the infant by caesarean was made and that a second theatre had to be readied. However, the HSE said yesterday the hospital management team had confirmed there was access to an emergency theatre “at all times throughout this event”.

The HSE is to carry out a clinical incident review, which will involve a multidisciplinary team “reviewing all aspects of the care provided in this case”.

However, Tony Fitzpatrick, industrial relations officer with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, said it would take issue if the review team involved staff from Cavan General.

“Our view in matters such as this is that there should be a level of independence to ensure that everyone has confidence in the process,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.

He said the INMO has written to hospital management seeking clarity on the terms of reference of the review and the make-up of the team.

The Dublin city coroner was notified in relation to the death and is carrying out his own investigation.

The coroner will decide whether to hold an inquest into the boy’s death after he receives a report from the pathologist.

The HSE said it wished to express “its deepest sympathy to the parents of the deceased infant”.

Sinn Féin TD for Cavan/Monaghan, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, said he would be calling for the findings of the review to be published.

“This review needs to speedily report on its findings and I am calling for its content to be published,” said Mr Ó Caoláin.

He said he had every confidence in the care provided to pregnant woman and women in labour at Cavan General but that it was “in the interests not only of the tragic family involved but of all dependent families across Cavan and Monaghan... that there be full disclosure of the facts in this most regrettable case”.

A survey of caesarean rates in 2009 showed Cavan General had a rate of 28.3%, making it the seventh highest rate in maternity units across the country.