The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘I don’t forgive you,’ mother tells doctor
Consultant accused of contributing to the horrific death of baby at Ninewells in 2014 confronted by grieving mum at tribunal
A grieving mother yesterday faced the doctor accused of contributing to the death of her baby in a horrific botched delivery at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and told her: “I don’t forgive you.”
The premature infant was accidently decapitated inside the 30-year-old mother’s womb, as the consultant gynaecologist tried to pull the legs of the child during the birth.
Dr Vaishnavy Laxman, 41, attempted a natural delivery instead of an emergency Caesarean section, even though the baby was breech and 15 weeks early.
The doctor is subject to disciplinary proceedings at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester.
The hearing was told tragedy struck during the March 2014 birth when Dr Laxman told the patient to push while she applied traction.
The mother gave evidence while holding two teddy bears in her arms and called out to Dr Laxman, “I don’t forgive you – I don’t forgive you” as the doctor stared down at the floor.
Dr Laxman, who faces being struck off, denies contributing to the death of the baby.
The hearing continues.
A consultant gynaecologist caused an unborn baby to be decapitated inside her mother’s womb as she carried out a bungled delivery at an NHS maternity unit, a medical tribunal heard yesterday.
Dr Vaishnavy Laxman, 41, should have given the 30-year old patient an emergency caesarean section as the premature infant was in a breech position, but instead attempted to carry out the delivery naturally, it was claimed.
Tragedy struck when the doctor urged the patient to push while herself applying traction to the baby’s legs, it was alleged. The manoeuvre caused the infant’s legs, arms and torso to become detached leaving the head still in his mother’s womb.
Two other doctors subsequently carried out a c-section on the woman to remove the infant’s head. It was “reattached” to his body so his mother could hold him before she said goodbye. It is claimed the mother was not even in established labour at the time.
The hearing was told the tragedy occurred on March 16 2014 while Dr Laxman was working at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee with a team of other doctors.
The woman’s waters had broken early at 25 weeks and upon examination her unborn baby was found to have a prolapsed cord and was in a breech position, while the mother’s cervix was around 2-3cm dilated. It can be 10cm fully dilated.
In heartbreaking evidence, Patient A, who was holding two teddy bears in her arms, told the hearing it was the first time she was due to give birth, adding: “I had been for a scan the previous Friday and I was told my son was breech and the nurse told me if anything had happened to my son it was going to be a c-section.
“A lot of people were talking, they kept saying the baby needed to come out but nobody looked at me in the eye and told me what was going to happen.
“I was examined by a doctor but she didn’t say anything to me. They were checking for the baby’s heartbeat and it had plummeted and that’s when I was told it was going to come out.
“I remember them saying I was 2-3cm dilated and I was told to push. Nobody said I was not having a c-section and doing something else instead.
“Whilst this was going on I was in pain. I was not given gas and air. I tried to get off the bed but they pulled me back three times and just said they had to get the baby out.
“There was no anaesthetic. I said to them ‘it doesn’t feel right, stop it, what’s going on, I don’t want to do it’ but nobody responded to me in any way.
“Afterwards I was in a cubicle with a curtain around me and the sister came over to me and told me my son had passed away. I didn’t know the details but Dr Laxman came to see me and the baby’s father was there. Dr Laxman sat on the side of my bed and she said how sorry she was for what happened but I didn’t know the full extent of what happened at that point.
“I just said ‘it’s all right, these things happen, I forgive you’. She went away but I started screaming when I found out the full extent. I was upset because of the severity of his injury.
“I would never use the word stillborn, he was not stillborn, he was decapitated. I was pregnant, my first pregnancy I wasn’t sure what was going on and I was told it was the safest place possible. Nobody explained the plan or risks associated.”
Midwife Mona Chard said: “I was trying to reassure the patient and comfort her. I remember looking round and people were shocked. The doctor came over to me and said Dr Laxman had decided there wasn’t going to be a c-section and I saw her pull the baby’s feet and cord and she told the patient to push. That is something you cannot forget and Patient A was very distressed.”
Lawyer for the General Medical Council Charles Garside QC said the fatality was caused by an obstruction during the birth.
He said Dr Laxman “had become overcome by events” and the procedures were finished by other doctors.
Mr Garside added: “At no point did she try to comfort or consolidate or explain to Patient A what was going on.
“She failed to perform a caesarean without general anaesthetic at a time when speed was needed. The baby had a heartbeat, it was slow, but it was not dead. New babies are fragile, but this tiny baby was more fragile, and being pulled or twisted could do a lot more damage.”
Dr Laxman, who faces being struck off, denies contributing to the baby’s death.
The hearing continues.