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| Co Down mum says stillbirth could have been prevented | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| By Marie-Louise Connolly BBC Northern Ireland health correspondent | By Marie-Louise Connolly BBC Northern Ireland health correspondent |
| A County Down woman believes her baby son may have survived if midwives at the Downe midwifery-led unit had listened to her concerns. | A County Down woman believes her baby son may have survived if midwives at the Downe midwifery-led unit had listened to her concerns. |
| The South Eastern Health Trust has apologised to Anne-Marie Smyth whose baby was stillborn last October. | The South Eastern Health Trust has apologised to Anne-Marie Smyth whose baby was stillborn last October. |
| Staff never discussed inducing her, nor did they complete a birthing plan. | Staff never discussed inducing her, nor did they complete a birthing plan. |
| The trust will carry out a review of procedures to ensure women are given information which reflects the full range of choice available. | The trust will carry out a review of procedures to ensure women are given information which reflects the full range of choice available. |
| Anne-Marie Smyth, who lives in Downpatrick, attended the Downe midwifery-led unit throughout her pregnancy last year. | Anne-Marie Smyth, who lives in Downpatrick, attended the Downe midwifery-led unit throughout her pregnancy last year. |
| When she was nine days over due, she said her calls for extra monitoring were ignored by staff who instead sent her home on more than one occasion. | When she was nine days over due, she said her calls for extra monitoring were ignored by staff who instead sent her home on more than one occasion. |
| While she accepts still births are a sad reality, she believes her baby's life could have been saved. | While she accepts still births are a sad reality, she believes her baby's life could have been saved. |
| "I lost confidence in the unit, the continuity of care just wasn't available to me," she said. | "I lost confidence in the unit, the continuity of care just wasn't available to me," she said. |
| "The reassurance of scans, especially as I was overdue, wasn't there. | |
| "I didn't get the support from the unit I felt a first time mother needed. | "I didn't get the support from the unit I felt a first time mother needed. |
| 'Critical time' | 'Critical time' |
| "It just didn't happen. | "It just didn't happen. |
| "It was distressing, especially at such a critical time in my pregnancy." | "It was distressing, especially at such a critical time in my pregnancy." |
| Anne-Marie acknowledges that her case was not unique. | Anne-Marie acknowledges that her case was not unique. |
| However, she feels that when women go past their due date, they should be offered extra scans to ensure the baby is not in distress. | However, she feels that when women go past their due date, they should be offered extra scans to ensure the baby is not in distress. |
| While she admits to calling into the unit regularly and often being the only pregnant woman there, staff sent her home telling her to take things easy. | While she admits to calling into the unit regularly and often being the only pregnant woman there, staff sent her home telling her to take things easy. |
| "My own instincts told me something was wrong, but no-one listened," she said. | "My own instincts told me something was wrong, but no-one listened," she said. |
| "I believe when a woman goes past her due date, at some stage they should discuss induction, that conversation never took place. | "I believe when a woman goes past her due date, at some stage they should discuss induction, that conversation never took place. |
| "Considering I was often the only woman there, staff were hardly stretched." | "Considering I was often the only woman there, staff were hardly stretched." |
| According to guidelines produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical excellence (NICE), a woman who has a straightforward pregnancy, should be offered the choice of being induced after 41-weeks. | According to guidelines produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical excellence (NICE), a woman who has a straightforward pregnancy, should be offered the choice of being induced after 41-weeks. |
| According to Anne-Marie, that offer was never made. Nor were attempts to complete a birthing plan. | According to Anne-Marie, that offer was never made. Nor were attempts to complete a birthing plan. |
| "For me not to complete something as basic as a birthing plan was wrong," she said. | "For me not to complete something as basic as a birthing plan was wrong," she said. |
| "It might have helped to explain things when I went into labour. It just added to my distress that something so basic wasn't undertaken by the midwives." | "It might have helped to explain things when I went into labour. It just added to my distress that something so basic wasn't undertaken by the midwives." |
| Apology | Apology |
| The BBC contacted the South Eastern Health Trust about the case. | The BBC contacted the South Eastern Health Trust about the case. |
| The trust has now written to Ms Smyth and her partner apologising for what happened. | The trust has now written to Ms Smyth and her partner apologising for what happened. |
| The letter apologises for midwives failing to discuss an induction date and for failing to complete a birthing plan. | The letter apologises for midwives failing to discuss an induction date and for failing to complete a birthing plan. |
| As a result of Anne-Marie's experience, the head of Midwifery and Gynaecology at the trust has called for a review of procedures to ensure women are given information which reflects the full range of choices available. | As a result of Anne-Marie's experience, the head of Midwifery and Gynaecology at the trust has called for a review of procedures to ensure women are given information which reflects the full range of choices available. |
| Midwives are also to receive training in how to tell parents when their baby has died. | Midwives are also to receive training in how to tell parents when their baby has died. |
| This was an issue that Anne-Marie and her partner believe was badly handled. | This was an issue that Anne-Marie and her partner believe was badly handled. |
| "Nine days past my due date I called in twice to the unit on the same day," she said. | "Nine days past my due date I called in twice to the unit on the same day," she said. |
| "That night when I went in, the midwife was unable to hear the heartbeat so she tried to get a scanner to work. | "That night when I went in, the midwife was unable to hear the heartbeat so she tried to get a scanner to work. |
| "She said it wasn't working so instead she sent me to the Ulster Maternity Hospital by ambulance. | "She said it wasn't working so instead she sent me to the Ulster Maternity Hospital by ambulance. |
| "I now know that the midwife knew my baby was dead, but didn't know how to break the news. | "I now know that the midwife knew my baby was dead, but didn't know how to break the news. |
| "That's unacceptable. I travelled to the Ulster thinking and hoping the baby was alive. | "That's unacceptable. I travelled to the Ulster thinking and hoping the baby was alive. |
| "If midwives are to run such units, well then they need to be trained in how to tell parents their baby has died." | "If midwives are to run such units, well then they need to be trained in how to tell parents their baby has died." |
| Breedagh Hughes from the Royal College of Midwives acknowledges that staff require further training in this highly sensitive area. | Breedagh Hughes from the Royal College of Midwives acknowledges that staff require further training in this highly sensitive area. |
| "I think it's critical," she said. | "I think it's critical," she said. |
| "The rate of stillbirths in Northern Ireland is very low, so midwives don't have to deal with the problem regularly. | "The rate of stillbirths in Northern Ireland is very low, so midwives don't have to deal with the problem regularly. |
| "However, if there are to be local midwifery-led units, they have to be equipped to deliver such news." | "However, if there are to be local midwifery-led units, they have to be equipped to deliver such news." |
| There has been much debate as to whether Downpatrick can sustain a midwifery-led unit when so few mothers are choosing to use it. | There has been much debate as to whether Downpatrick can sustain a midwifery-led unit when so few mothers are choosing to use it. |
| In 14 months only 63 babies have been born there, that averages at around one a week. | In 14 months only 63 babies have been born there, that averages at around one a week. |
| This compares to 73 in the Lagan Valley unit which opened three months ago. | This compares to 73 in the Lagan Valley unit which opened three months ago. |
| Choices | Choices |
| However, in context, Lagan Valley had already a maternity unit established compared to the Downe which is basically starting from scratch. | However, in context, Lagan Valley had already a maternity unit established compared to the Downe which is basically starting from scratch. |
| The BMA's Dr Tom Black said that with the current budget constraints, there was not the same money available to offer women choice. | The BMA's Dr Tom Black said that with the current budget constraints, there was not the same money available to offer women choice. |
| "Midwifery units are expensive," he said. | "Midwifery units are expensive," he said. |
| "The budget is about £200m below what is needed to run the health service, so giving women different choices as to where they give birth may not be as viable in the future." | "The budget is about £200m below what is needed to run the health service, so giving women different choices as to where they give birth may not be as viable in the future." |
| According to Anne-Marie Smyth, in the future, she will choose to attend the Ulster Maternity Hospital instead. | According to Anne-Marie Smyth, in the future, she will choose to attend the Ulster Maternity Hospital instead. |
| Her son's post mortem reads that he died from acute asphyxia, intra amniotic infection, which had been present for a number of days. | Her son's post mortem reads that he died from acute asphyxia, intra amniotic infection, which had been present for a number of days. |
| According to Anne-Marie she will never know if scans she had requested in days before giving birth, could have picked up that her baby son Colin was ill. | According to Anne-Marie she will never know if scans she had requested in days before giving birth, could have picked up that her baby son Colin was ill. |