The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: Laura Liston’s death and what it means for home birth services

Health correspondent Niamh Griffin joins the podcast to discuss the inquest, its findings, and the wider impact on home birth services.

The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: Inquest into Laura Liston’s death and the suspension of home births in Limerick

Thirty-six-year-old Laura Liston died in June 2022 after giving birth to a baby boy at her home near Croom, Co Limerick, under the HSE homebirth service. Since her death, HSE Midwest has suspended home birthing in the region.

She is the first mother to die following a home birth in Ireland. Ms Liston’s inquest took place this week at Kilmallock Courthouse in County Limerick, .

Ms Liston’s husband, Fergal Mannion, and other relatives, including her parents, issued a statement through their solicitor after the inquest.

“Laura dreamed of becoming a mother and raising a family with Fergal in her native Croom,” solicitor Scarlett Griffin O’ Sullivan said.

“To become a mother was all she ever wanted, maternal by nature, she was a beautiful woman inside and out.” 

The statement continued: “She did her research and opted for a homebirth via the HSE service and trusted that she would be afforded basic antenatal care. Unfortunately there were deficits in that care, in particular following her son’s delivery. But for those failings Laura would still be alive today.” 

The families stood silently behind her, and said in the statement: “This tragedy was avoidable and should never have happened."

Irish Examiner health correspondent Niamh Griffin attended the inquest and joins today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast to discuss the case.