The parents of a stillborn baby girl have said their daughter was silenced but her "voice was heard" as an inquest returned a verdict of medical misadventure yesterday.
Willow was stillborn to parents Pamela and Patrick Clarke from Bailieboro in Co Cavan on August 15, 2018 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Co Louth.
She died due to a lack of oxygen. Pamela felt her pleas for a caesarean section were not listened to by the people who were taking care of her and her baby.
In a statement after the inquest Pamela said: “We stand here today after we fought endlessly for answers about the wrongful death of our little girl Willow.
“Healthy babies don’t just die.”
Pamela added she has maintained Willow’s death should never have happened.
“Willow was silenced, but not today. My beautiful baby girl, your voice was heard.”
Yesterday, the inquest at Drogheda Coroner’s Court heard mum Pamela was deemed high risk as she had developed gestational diabete at 28 weeks. She was admitted to the Co Louth hospital on August 14 for a planned induction at 38 weeks by use of a hormone pessary.
Mrs Clarke had requested a caesarean section because nine years previously she nearly lost her son and pleaded with doctors not to let it happen again.
She said she was refused a C-section because she had given birth naturally previously.
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, Dr Vineta Ciprike confirmed to solicitor Roger Murray, who represented the couple, that the risk of a stillbirth is four to seven times higher in such cases.
She said she had written down that Mrs Clarke had consented to the induction of labour and Mr Murray put it to her there was no written record, but informed consent had been obtained.
The inquest heard that issues arose around the management of guidelines at the hospital for a woman with gestational diabetes and that there were staffing issues on the ward on the night.
Evidence was given by midwives who carried out CTG tracing on Mrs Clarke - but the Co Louth coroner Ronan Maguire said Mrs Clarke and baby Willow should have been monitored more carefully.
“They should have been monitored more carefully and more frequently. If they were, there may have been a different outcome," the coroner said.
Dr Fiona Doyle who performed the autopsy on baby Willow said the cause of death was acute hypoxia - or lack of oxygen - but that fetal demise remains unexplained.
The coroner said the guidelines surrounding the management of women with gestational diabetes were “ambigious and confusing and not adhered to.”
The hospital confirmed it is working on new guidelines and wrote to the Clarke family last year apologising for the death of baby Willow. The hospital’s legal team also apologised at the inquest to Willow’s family for the deficit in care.
Mrs Clarke said the family hopes that Willow’s death will not be in vain and that her legacy will help save others, so no other families endure the nightmare they are going through.
Her family’s message to others is “if something doesn't feel right, speak out and make your voice heard.”
