A MIDWIFE has apologised to a young couple for not checking the heart rate of their baby regularly enough during her birth. The child later died from a serious brain injury.
Royal Derby Hospital midwife Marie Stocks was on call during the birthing pool delivery of Olivia Amat in September last year, an inquest was told.
Ms Stocks failed to monitor Olivia's heart rate for 15 minutes, when it is possible that it became abnormally low, potentially leading to the starvation of oxygen to the baby's brain.
Speaking at Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner's Court, Ms Stocks said: "I admit I did not do that. I do not know why I did not do that and I know it is in the guidelines.
"I am so sorry. That will stay with me. I've done pool births as a student and since qualifying but I could not put a figure on how many."
Following the inquest, a spokeswoman for Royal Derby Hospital refused to tell the Derby Telegraph whether or not Ms Stocks was still a midwife at the hospital or whether or not any disciplinary action had been taken against her.
Olivia, whose parents live in Willington Road, Etwall, was delivered at 9.48pm. The inquest was told her heart rate had not been monitored between 9.15pm and 9.30pm, when it was found to be abnormally low. It did not normalise until 9.36pm.
Assistant coroner Paul McCandless said: "It is possible that Olivia's heart rate became abnormally low during this 15-minute window of non-monitoring.
"Once noted, Olivia's low heart rate was immediately treated as an emergency and, once it had normalised, the decision was taken that the time was right for an assisted instrumental delivery.
"Once delivered, it was noted that Olivia was in a poor condition with no heart rate or breathing effort.
"Resuscitation was commenced and, amazingly, Olivia showed some response with improvement in her heart rate but she could not breathe spontaneously.
"It is more likely than not, and accepted by all, that she was starved of oxygen during the time that her heart rate became abnormally low."
He added that, if the heart rate had been checked, Olivia may have been delivered sooner but he could not say whether or not an earlier delivery would have increased her chances of survival.
Olivia was admitted to Nottingham City Hospital where she was diagnosed with severe grade-three hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.
Dr Dulip Jayasinghe, consultant neonatologist, said: "Valiant attempts were made but she was a very poorly little girl."
HOSPITAL MAKES UNRESERVED APOLOGY DERBY Hospitals head of midwifery Sue Bennion has also apologised. She said: "I am extremely sorry for the distress caused to the family by the tragic loss of their baby daughter Olivia. There were shortcomings in the care provided to Mrs Amat and her daughter. I apologise unreservedly. "I would like to reassure the family that lessons have been learned from their devastating experience. "A full internal investigation has been carried out. The hospital has increased the training and supervision of junior midwives with the aim of reducing the possibility of a similar tragic incident occurring in future. "The hospital is contacting the family to offer them the opportunity to meet with me to share with them the findings of our internal investigation."