Mum’s pain after inquest told childbirth skull fracture killed son

YESTERDAY DROGHEDA A BABY died after his skull was fractured in childbirth, an inquest heard yesterday.

Evan Tuite was born at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, on June 14, 2012, but died almost 13 hours later.

His mum Fiona told his inquest: “It should have been the best day of my life but it was the worst. I’m still going through it.”

A pathologist said the cause of death was “severe external and internal cranial and brain trauma due to a difficult instrumental delivery”. The postmortem found a “fairly extensive fracture”.

After 11 hours’ labour, a midwife asked if a theatre should be put on standby for a Caesarean section.

The doctor said he would deliver Evan on the labour ward.

He performed “six pulls” using a forceps and kiwi vacuum before the baby was born and rushed to neonatal intensive care.

BLOOD

In her deposition read to the court by Coroner Ronan Maguire, Fiona said her son was covered in blood after the delivery at 6.29am. Evan was rushed to neonatal intensive care and Fiona’s placenta had to be surgically removed. She lost almost two litres of blood.

She was initially told Evan was recovering well but informed at 11am he was “not doing well.” He died in his parents’ arms at 7.38pm that night.

From the witness box at Drogheda Coroner’s Court, Fiona said: “I will never get over losing Evan.” Her barrister Sara Antoniotti said: “Forceps and vacuum caused the damage. There was six different pulls. It was a difficult instrumental delivery. “Neville Barnes [forceps] was applied at the very end to get the baby’s head and shoulders out. “From the pathologist’s report and subsequent investigations the baby suffered cranial damage. The verdict must be medical misadventure.”

Mr Maguire confirmed that was the verdict and expressed “heartfelt sympathy” to the grieving parents.

Outside the court Fiona told the Irish Mirror: “This has dragged on for so long. It’s almost seven years. “It was so hard to come here but I’m glad the inquest is finished. But it will never really end. We are still living through this nightmare.”

I’m glad the inquest is finished but we are still living this nightmare FIONA TUITE