Donegal Coroner Dr Denis McCauley has offered a number of recommendations following the conclusion of an inquest into the death a newborn baby which took place in Letterkenny last week.
The inquest into the death of baby Bláithín O’Riordan took place over a two-day sitting of the coroner’s court in Letterkenny Courthouse.
She died just one hour after she was born at Letterkenny University Hospital on February 4, 2023.
Depositions were given by a number of midwives, nurses, consultants and other medical professionals who were present during the labour and birth, as well as baby Bláithín’s heartbroken parents, Natasha and Liam O’Riordan.
Dr Laura Aolto who specialises in perinatal pathology reviewed the findings of the post-mortem.
The verdict found had Bláithín had aspirated meconium and at five minutes of life her heart had stopped.
“Post-mortem examination revealed extensive placental disease impeding oxygen exchange. This had caused widespread chronic ischaemic brain injury that predated the onset of labour by at least seven days.
“There was also fatal acute brain injury that occurred at least six hours before Blaithin’s birth, when the placenta was no longer able to cater for Bláithín’s perfusion needs towards the end of pregnancy and during labour.
“During the initial resuscitation, there was an issue with the component of the resuscitation equipment that allows for increase of IPPV pressure, resolved over a minute and a half. During a period of the first intubation the CO2 monitor was negative,” the verdict read.
After the inquest concluded, Dr McCauley said he would write to the HSE for clarification on diagnosing the onset of labour. He highlighted that fetal heart monitoring during this period is very inconsistent, with checks ranging from every hour to every four hours, rather than continuously once the cervix reaches certain dilation.
Both Dr McCauley and the expert witness Professor Peter Boylan, a consultant obstetrician, raised concerns about the lack of guidelines for monitoring mothers with regular uterine contractions and a shortening cervix, but no cervical dilation.
Dr McCauley also stressed that low or absent amniotic fluid during labour should prompt a reassessment of the baby’s condition, even if antenatal scans had shown normal fluid levels.
