DOC ‘DECAPITATED BABY WHILE IT WAS STILL IN WOMB’
Gynaecologist’s mistake led to horror at Scots maternity unit, tribunal hears
A DOCTOR caused an unborn baby to be decapitated inside her mother’s womb as she carried out a bungled delivery on a Scots maternity unit, a medical tribunal heard.
Dr Vaishnavy Laxman, 41, should have given the patient an emergency Caesarean section because the premature infant was in a breech position, it was claimed.
The consultant gynaecologist instead tried to carry out a natural delivery, with distressing consequences, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service heard.
The tragedy occurred on March 16, 2014, while Dr Laxman was working at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee with other doctors.
Patient A’s waters had broken early at 25 weeks. Her unborn baby was found to have a prolapsed cord, was in a breech position and his mother’s cervix was 2-3cm dilated. It can be 10cm fully dilated.
The hearing was told the woman, aged 30 and pregnant with her first child, was given the painkiller cocodamol before she was examined and Dr Laxman decided on a natural delivery.
Charles Garside QC, lawyer for the General Medical Council, said: “Dr Laxman allegedly delivered the legs, torso and arms successfully but whilst trying to deliver the head, it got stuck in the cervix.
“The attempt to manipulate the baby’s head to come out of the cervix failed because the cervix has clamped on to the baby’s head and despite effort made to assist, these efforts failed.
“Dr Laxman made three attempts to cut the cervix with scissors but Baby B’s head was separated from his body and his head was stuck inside Patient A’s body.
“The doctors had to arrange for the head to be removed.
“A Caesarean was then carried out – not by Dr Laxman, who had become overcome by events – but by Dr C and Dr D, and his head was removed in that way.
“The head was reattached so the appearance of the baby was not too extreme. The baby was shown to his mother so she had the consolation of seeing him.”
Mr Garside told the hearing in Manchester that Patient A was not given any futher pain relief.
Dr Laxman also failed to perform a Caesarean “at a time when speed was needed,” he added.
He went on: “They should have carried out a category 1 Caesarean section. The baby had a heartbeat. It was slow but it was not dead.
“The choice was taken by Dr Laxman to try a vaginal delivery and this was the wrong choice.”
Patient A told the hearing she had previously been told she would be having a Caesarean section but heard nothing more in the hospital.
The medical team checked the baby’s heartbeat but it plummeted and Patient A said she was told the boy would have to come out and she would have to push.
She told how she was given no pain relief apart from a spray on her tongue – not even gas and air.
Patient A went on: “I had the doctors putting their hands inside me and I had them pushing on my stomach and pulling me down.
“I tried to get off the bed but they pulled me back three times and said they had to get the baby out.
“They twice tried to cut my cervix and nobody told me they were going to do it.” After the
He was not stillborn, he was decapitated BABY’S MOTHER AT THE TRIBUNAL
procedure was over, a sister told her the baby had died.
She said she told Dr Laxman afterwards: “It’s all right, these things happen, I forgive you.’”
But when she found out what had really happened to her son, Patient A said: “I started screaming.
“I would never use the word stillborn. He was not stillborn, he was decapitated.”
At the tribunal, Patient A looked at Dr Laxman and said: “I don’t forgive you. I don’t forgive you.”
Her lawyer Gerard Boyle QC told Patient A that Dr Laxman “is so very sorry and deeply saddened for the outcome of your baby”.
Dr Laxman, who faces being struck off, denies contributing to the death of the baby.
The hearing continues.