Baby didn’t die from drip – MEC

Newborn diagnosed with meconium aspiration

The baby who died, allegedly after a drip was inserted incorrectly to his hand, was actually diagnosed with meconium aspiration at birth.

North West health MEC Magome Masike yesterday said that after reading Sowetan’s article on Monday, he called the hospital and demanded answers.

Dineo Mpofu had blamed Taung Hospital for her son Leungo’s death. She said he developed purple skin and a swollen hand after a drip was allegedly inserted into him incorrectly. He died 10 weeks later.

Masike said: “I could not understand why they transferred the baby [to Klerksdorp Hospital] because of a drip, then I found out the baby was not killed by the drip. He was born with meconium and that is the reason why he was transferred.”

But Masike’s version contradicted that of his spokesman Tebogo Lekgethwane, who had said the baby was transferred so the pigmentation on his hand noticed after the drip was inserted could be treated.

Dr Gaoretelelwe Molebiemang from Taung Hospital, who examined the baby after birth, said he was delivered through meconium stained liquor grade 3, meaning he had passed stool inside the womb.

She said the baby was then diagnosed with meconium aspiration and because of the diagnosis he needed to be on IV antibiotics, hence the drip.

She said the baby was in distress in his mother’s womb, which is why he developed that condition and the mother was told the baby could die from. However, Mpofu said nothing was explained to her.