Baby dies after delayed Cesarean?

Question

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7013119.stm

What is going on with pre-natal care and maternity services in the UK?

I myself have been a victim of this, are the government doing enough to address the issues?

sorry, I should have been clearer, my experience was of poor pre-natal care, a medical error that caused me to have a very traumatic miscarriage . . .

Answer 1

oh dear i'm sorry to hear that barbie, midwifery care in the UK is woefully inadequate, but you try getting on a training course, it's damn near impossible, everyone on my course at college last year got turned down and 70% of the applicants didnt even get an interview. the goverment i believe are doing nothing their answer is that there is not a midwife shortage yet the college of midwives tells us that there has been a shortage for a long time. who is telling the truth ?? i myself had bad birthing experiences but luckily it worked out okay in the end.

Answer 2

This is so sad that a situation like this can arise.
I personally have had excellent healthcare for all of my five children and each pregnancy. I think the same old excuse will be used that the hospital was understaffed or some other poor excuse. I think that the government need to address the serious issues in the standard of care that patients receive as sadly this is not the only or indeed the last time that things like this have happened because of so called "professionals".

Answer 3

i don't know how doctors typically do things in the UK but here in the US everytime i was in labor i had a monitor on to monitor my babies hearts. and the second it started to slow they were ready to take any needed action. How could they have gone so long with out checking his heart beat that by the time they did he was already dead? I dont understand that dr.'s thinking. Keeping up with my babies' stats is ond of the top things the dr.'s did.

i recently read an article that said even newborn care in America is not great. We have a very high infant mortality rate for being a modern country.

I also agree with the people who said dr.'s don't seem to care what you say as a patient because they feel they are all knowing. i had this problem once when my oldest son was hospitalized as an infant.

Answer 4

That's awful, its disgusting that the doctor decided they would play god and change the decision at the last minute. Such a sad and tragic waste, its terrible to think that pregnant women would be treated like this. It should not be allowed, the saddest thing is that this poor baby was moments from being alive and bought into the world and one persons misjudgement means they never had a chance.

Answer 5

This seems to be a recurring theme with the NHS,
When i was 28 weeks pregnant i told the midwife and the consultant that my baby wasn't moving about much and asked for another scan only to be told that after the 20 week scan you didn't get another scan two weeks later my son was still born due to a silent abruption , I was always complaining that i had lots of pain in my right side but they insisted that it was due to the weight of the baby and sent me to see a physio i believe if i had got that scan when i asked i would have had a healthy baby

Answer 6

Please do not miss the last sentence of your link

The case continues

There may be other circumstances that have yet to come out in court.

But that said, it's a terrible situation for the mother, I read this in the papers this morning and i feel so deeply sorry for her.

My girlfriend is 35 weeks and one day gone now, and all the experience of the maternity unit here in Derby that we have had can only be described as world class. She has developed Gestational Diabetes and the care and support is excellent

Answer 7

that's very, very sad.

I had my first baby and I had booked a c-section, I talked it over with my doctor.

people who rant on and on about natural births and screaming its the right thing to do, should keep their opinions to themselves. whats right for one is not necessarily right for another.

I decided on a c-section with my doctor, because he said its 2006, everything has moved forward except for childbirth, why go through all that agony for hours on end, stressing the baby and the mother, not to mention being almost 40, I didn't fancy coughing when I was 45 and peeing myself at the same time.
My doctor was a private one in a private hospital, it was nothing to do with the money, the price was exactly the same, he said he was happy I chose to have a c-section. Although it hurts afterwards, I would do it all again. seems to me if you pay you get great treatment.

I think its utterly disgusting that this doctor changed the plans of this c-section simply because of her beliefs in natural childbirth. The proof is right in front of us, look what happened to this poor woman. I can't think of anything worse than waiting to meet a beautiful baby only to have your dreams shattered.

Answer 8

Its all very well having doctors that support natural childbirth but you have to draw the line at the fact that some cesareans still need to be carried out. Doctor's are meant to be impartial in their decision and this doctor obviously isn't.

Edit: Chris this is nothing to do with a Doctors nationality and you can be british and jewish.

Answer 9

Firstly can I sympathies with you, I had two miscarridges and that as terrible but you have been through worse. That woman should have been given a C/section that's just awful, I also think they leave woman who are over due go too long before doing anything to deliver heir babies. The whole antenatal system needs to be over looked to see where they can improve the service before any mums have to go through that.

Answer 10

I hope the doctor gets suspended! One thing for sure she should have paid attention to previous births and recommendations that the patient should undergo a caesarian section.

I don't know if it's onm,y me but i sometimes feel that medical staff do not always hear patients out. It is as though they take what we say to be alleged and their own opinion as factual.

My heart goes out to this lady. I know suing will not give her back her beautiful baby but neither doctor nor hospital should get away with it