Why did our baby daughter die the day after she was born?
31/12/1999
Thank you very much for all your hard work, especially as the outcome is better than expected. Can't thank you enough.
Shana, Wiltshire
Suzanne and Patrick Maloney had to say goodbye to their first daughter the day after she was born.
Baby Shauna was delivered in a poor state of health and it took medical staff twelve minutes to resuscitate her.
Her parents could not understand why after a straight forward pregnancy and a routine induction Shauna died.
Baby Shauna
Suzanne Maloney, aged 29, was admitted to hospital for induction of labour at 3pm. It was the 20th June 2002 and she was a week overdue.
Her husband Patrick, 33, was told to go home and that he would be contacted if there were any changes.
Soon after induction Suzanne experienced some mild pain. It grew stronger during the night and later that evening she alerted medical staff that she was bleeding heavily.
At 1am Suzanne felt very uncomfortable and she suspected she was still bleeding. The midwife struggled to find Shauna's heart beat straight away with the monitor.
The registrar was called and examined Suzanne. Concerned about Shauna's heart rate, she was transferred to the delivery suite and Patrick was called to the hospital.
At about 03:30am in the delivery suite a doctor attached a clip to Shauna's head to monitor her heart beat. "The doctor said that I needed a caesarean section, but he was overruled by his superior, the registrar. I remember that the midwives looked concerned."
"At 05:30am Shauna's heart rate dropped to zero and I was rushed to theatre for an emergency caesarean. I remember that the registrar was pointing to the baby's heart rate, urging the anaesthetist to hurry up," recalled Suzanne.
When Shauna was born at 05:55am the neonatal unit worked hard to save her. Shauna died after she suffered brain damage through lack of oxygen during birth at 13:20pm on the 22nd June.
How could this have happened to a healthy baby?
The whole family were eagerly awaiting Shauna's birth. It is devastating for them to accept her loss.
Suzanne and Patrick found it unbearable to live in the house they had prepared for Shauna to come home to. It was a continual reminder of the considerable loss they had suffered.
They have asked the hospital to explain how this could have happened but they have not been wholly satisfied with their answers.
"We were told that their policy was to watch and wait and our healthy baby girl was allowed to die because of lack of care." Suzanne and Patrick Maloney
"Shauna should have been delivered by 02:55am on the 21st June 2002 at the latest. Three hours earlier than she was born. Had she been, she would have been a normal healthy baby according to our expert evidence," said Partner Lindsay Wise of Alexander Harris who specialises in birth injury cases.
"It was important for Suzanne and Patrick to have a frank apology and explanation of what happened from the hospital Trust and reassurances that action has been taken to stop such a tragedy happening again. In their eyes, the case was never about compensation."
"Although Suzanne and Patrick received an out of court settlement they feel that the Trust's apology does not go far enough. It didn't accept that had Shauna been delivered sooner, she would be a healthy little girl today."
"The signs were there for the doctors to act upon. Shauna's life was taken before it had started."
Suzanne and Patrick Maloney
Suzanne and Patrick's story also features in the Manchester Evening News the Reporter. today and Alexander Harris' newsletter
All media enquiries should be directed to Alexander Harris' media department on 08700 77 88 77.
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