Praise for hospital after baby’s death

JON MACPHERSON

ABABY tragically died just three hours after he was born, an inquest heard.

Olly Harding-Galbraith was delivered by emergency Caesarean section at 35 weeks and four days after his mum Hannah Harding, of Branch Street in Bacup, had ‘experienced no foetal movement for three days’.

An inquest at Burnley Coroners Court heard how Olly was not breathing and had no heartbeat, and after ‘medical interventions’ were put in place he suffered with a fast heartbeat and low oxygen levels.

Olly passed away on March 16 this year at Burnley General.

Dr Edmund Cheesman, a paediatric pathologist for Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital, said Olly had been ‘progressing normally’ until a few days before his birth and he was a ‘well grown baby’.

He told the inquest: “That suggests whatever happened to Olly happened really quite late on in the pregnancy.”

Dr Cheesman said the examination found a build up of fluid on Olly’s body and evidence of the common group A strepto- coccus bacteria.

However, he said that he ‘couldn’t see any evidence of an infection’ and ‘could not say for certain if this bacteria was signifi- cant or not’.

He added: “I don’t think there is anything that could’ve been foreseen or changed as it happened over such a short period of time.”

Coroner Richard Taylor recorded the conclusion of an undiagnosed natural cause of death. He told the family: “There’s no blame attached to anyone. This is one of life’s tragedies. This baby was living well until a few days before the birth. It is impossible to give you the answer that you may have come here hoping to hear. We cannot say for sure exactly what this was.

“It may have been an infection, more likely than not, but undiagnosed. Some bacteria was found but that didn’t fit in with other findings.”

Speaking after the hearing, Olly’s father Francis Galbraith said: “We appreciate everything the coroner has done and all the effort that the doctors and everyone at Burnley Hospital did for Olly.

“Everybody has been fantastic and the full family appreciate everything, especially the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at Burnley.”

‘There’s no blame attached to anyone’

PREPARATIONS are underway for a seasonal fete in Holcombe Brook.

The Annual Autumn Fair in the Parish of Holcombe and Hawkshaw is being held this year at Canon Lewis Hall, Longsight Road, on Saturday, October 8.

The event starts at 10.30am and runs until 2pm. There will be games, stalls and refreshments available. Admission 30p.

For more information contact Steve Newhouse on 01706 412657.