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| Father delivers baby in hospital | Father delivers baby in hospital |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| A Lancashire hospital has apologised after a father was forced to deliver his own baby because the midwife left the room. | A Lancashire hospital has apologised after a father was forced to deliver his own baby because the midwife left the room. |
| Thomas Howard said despite pressing the emergency buzzer at the Royal Blackburn Hospital no member of staff arrived until after the baby was born. | Thomas Howard said despite pressing the emergency buzzer at the Royal Blackburn Hospital no member of staff arrived until after the baby was born. |
| His partner Emily Baron, 26, gave birth to baby Madeline two weeks early on 26 January, weighing 4lb 15oz. | His partner Emily Baron, 26, gave birth to baby Madeline two weeks early on 26 January, weighing 4lb 15oz. |
| A hospital spokeswoman said they would look very closely at what happened. | A hospital spokeswoman said they would look very closely at what happened. |
| Mr Howard said he heard his partner's screams, ran to the bottom of the bed and then saw the baby's scalp. He said the actual birth took only "minutes". | Mr Howard said he heard his partner's screams, ran to the bottom of the bed and then saw the baby's scalp. He said the actual birth took only "minutes". |
| The couple said the midwife had left the room to get Ms Baron's notes. | The couple said the midwife had left the room to get Ms Baron's notes. |
| Ms Baron, who was in labour for a total of two hours and 15 minutes, said: "I was really scared when the pain got worse and the midwife had left the room. | Ms Baron, who was in labour for a total of two hours and 15 minutes, said: "I was really scared when the pain got worse and the midwife had left the room. |
| "I am just so grateful that Thomas was there. | "I am just so grateful that Thomas was there. |
| "I was really nervous anyway because there were problems with my past two babies, one had a cleft palete and the other had breathing problems. | |
| I had seen it done in the films, so I just thought that was the best thing Thomas Howard, Madeline's father | I had seen it done in the films, so I just thought that was the best thing Thomas Howard, Madeline's father |
| "Luckily Madeline was fine, but it wasn't down to the staff." | "Luckily Madeline was fine, but it wasn't down to the staff." |
| As soon as Mr Howard had hold of the baby he turned her on her side, slapped her and made she sure was breathing. | As soon as Mr Howard had hold of the baby he turned her on her side, slapped her and made she sure was breathing. |
| "I had seen it done in the films, so I just thought that was the best thing. | "I had seen it done in the films, so I just thought that was the best thing. |
| "I saw her head and I knew I had to act, you can't leave a baby in the birth canal for too long. | "I saw her head and I knew I had to act, you can't leave a baby in the birth canal for too long. |
| "It was my only choice really, because no-one from the hospital was there at the time," Mr Howard said. | "It was my only choice really, because no-one from the hospital was there at the time," Mr Howard said. |
| Emily Baron and her partner Thomas Howard now have five children | Emily Baron and her partner Thomas Howard now have five children |
| Madeline is now back home in Ewood, Blackburn, with her mother, father and four siblings. | Madeline is now back home in Ewood, Blackburn, with her mother, father and four siblings. |
| Ruth Gildert, of the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "I would like to apologise to Ms Baron and her partner for the distress they experienced. | Ruth Gildert, of the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "I would like to apologise to Ms Baron and her partner for the distress they experienced. |
| "Our midwives supervise all women very closely during labour. | "Our midwives supervise all women very closely during labour. |
| "However there may, on some occasions, be the need to briefly leave the room and a baby can be born unexpectedly quickly. | "However there may, on some occasions, be the need to briefly leave the room and a baby can be born unexpectedly quickly. |
| "As a result of the concerns expressed we will be looking very closely into what happened and we will be contacting the family directly." | "As a result of the concerns expressed we will be looking very closely into what happened and we will be contacting the family directly." |