'Robbie may have been here today'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/8365975.stm

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A charity has called for better care and more research funding to reduce stillbirths and perinatal death.

It follows a report claiming almost 500 babies a year are lost that way in Scotland every year.

Lesley Ingram, from Dumfries, lost one of her twins almost three years ago after being admitted to hospital due to complications.

She told BBC Scotland how her experience showed that more needs to be done to tackle the issue.

I conceived the twins, Jamie and Robbie, and my care at our local maternity hospital was very good up until I was about 30 weeks pregnant.

Lesley Ingram believes Jamie's twin Robbie might have survived

At 30 weeks my gynaecologist decided he wanted to admit me to hospital for closer observation because of health problems that I had.

At 32 weeks he decided he was going to admit me ... in the hope that I was able to carry the twins until at least 37 weeks and at that point they would be delivered.

That was about the 17 February and on the 26 February I had a placental abruption - which was a bleed.

At that point I followed the procedures that I was asked to do.

I pressed the emergency button on the wall, doctors came to the room from all over the hospital, Dumfries Infirmary ward four and the maternity hospital.

The came to my aid and did all the vital observations.

My blood pressure was OK, my temperature was OK so what they decided to do was just leave me because everything was normal.

I went downstairs had my scan and it was at that point that the radiographer had to break the news to my husband and I that there was only one heartbeat

At that point they decided to leave me and that night and the next morning I was in excruciating pain.

They could not find Robbie's heartbeat at all but they believed that he had just changed position.

These things happen and it was possible that they just were not able to pick up on that.

This went on every day for 10 days up until the 6 March.

They decided at that point they would give me a scan, a routine scan which had already been planned two weeks previous to that.

I went downstairs had my scan and it was at that point that the radiographer had to break the news to my husband and I that there was only one heartbeat.

They decided they would give me an emergency section that day and the twins were delivered at that point.

The paediatrician believed that Robbie had died the night of the bleed because of the deterioration.

Comments' impact

Had they acted the way they should have done when I had that abruption - had they given me a scan, had they given me an emergency Caesarean perhaps Robbie would have been here today.

Comments made by various professionals on various occasions just were not right which is another thing I think needs to change.

Doctors and midwives need to be aware of the impact of statements and comments made by them at the time of a death of a baby which stay with parents forever.

The appreciation of the circumstances at the time can go a long way.

There are things that have been said to me that will stay with me for years to come.

I have been told now that since my 'story' - if you want to call it that - policies and procedures have changed.

That has not helped us any.

But it is certainly, hopefully going to help people in the future, which is a good thing.