The parents of a baby boy who died four days after birth said they have take comfort from new guidelines introduced following the tragedy.
Danny Ryan was born to parents Brenda and Michael on October 16, 2017.
The first-time mother, from Allenstown, Kells, Co Meath said she felt her pleas for help during the onset of labour were “brushed away”.
Mrs Ryan added in a statement after the inquest at Dublin Cororner’s Court yesterday: “Danny was our beautiful much-longed for son and our first grandchild on my side of the family.
“I was repeatedly told I could not be in labour, this resulted in being abandoned in a bath for over an hour.
“After a traumatic birth by emergency C-section we got to spend four days with Danny.
“It was only in the last few hours that we got to hold and cuddle him in the way that he deserved.” Mrs Ryan developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy and had scans at 28, 32 and 36 weeks.
Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, Dr Vineta Ciprike said: “The baby was growing consistently, we didn’t have any concern about baby’s growth.”
Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane noted there was no formal ultrasound between 36 weeks and the baby’s birth at 40 weeks and nine days gestation.
The court heard Mrs Ryan was induced in hospital on October 15 but this was unsuccessful.
The next day a gel was applied in a bid to soften the cervix. Mrs Ryan described feeling pains around 4pm and at 8.30pm she felt her waters had broken but she was distressed.
Midwife Ciara Judge told the court she had no clinical concerns for Mrs Ryan at this time.
She said: “She was starting to have tightenings, I certainly didn’t think she was in labour.”
Mrs Ryan was invited to have a bath to ease the pain.
She said: “We remained in the bath for a long time. I was still in pain. The water went cold twice during this time.”
At 11.40pm a CTG revealed the baby’s heartbeat was low and Mrs Ryan was rushed to theatre for an emergency C-section.
Danny was born at 11.56pm. He was not breathing. He was transferred to the Rotunda Hospital where he died four days later on October 20. Pathologist Dr Emma Doyle gave the cause of death as severe brain damage due to placental failure as a consequence of foetal vascular malperfusion.
She said an acute event occurred “in or around the day of the baby’s delivery”.
New guidelines have been introduced since Danny’s death, specifying in cases of mothers with gestational diabetes, induction must take place by 40 weeks plus four days, with the aim of delivery within two days of induction.
Endorsing the instructions, the coroner returned a narrative verdict and recommended a review of the ultrasound reporting system.
The Ryans said the new guidelines provided some comfort to them.
Mrs Ryan added: “We will endeavour to pay tribute to our Danny’s memory by continually pushing for improvements to maternity care, he deserves it.”
