CUMH deaths 'result of missed opportunities to treat, monitor, and prevent seizures'

Mother with epilepsy and four-day-old baby boy died in hospital

Kieran Downey, husband of the late Marie Downey at Cork city Coroner’s Court for the inquest into the deaths of his 36-year-old wife, Marie, and their four-day-old baby boy Darragh, at Cork University Maternity Hospital more than two years ago. Picture: Cork Courts Limited

An expert in epilepsy said the deaths of a mother with epilepsy and her newborn son in Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) were as a result of missed opportunities to treat, monitor, and prevent seizures.

Neurologist, Dr Ronan Kilbride, the national clinical lead of the HSE’s epilepsy programme, made his comments as he gave evidence yesterday at the joint inquest into the death of Marie Downey, and the death of her infant son, Darragh, in CUMH in March 2019.