Baby would have been born alive if delivered earlier, inquest hears

This was according to Dr John Gillan, who undertook an autopsy after the baby died at Portlaoise Hospital on August 14, 2020.

The pathologist was asked by Damien Tansey, senior counsel for Timmy’s parents Eimear and Eddie, if he had been delivered sooner, would he have survived?

Dr Gillan replied: “That would be the case.” 

Timmy suffered hypoxia, which meant he was starved of oxygen.

Mr Tansey told Laois Coroner, Mr Eugene O'Connor, there had been several opportunities to deliver Timmy, including on August 6 and August 12, 2020.

The inquest heard a decision was taken to try and induce Eimear on August 6 but on August 4, her obstetrician Dr Miriam Doyle deemed she was not ready to be induced on that date.

Instead, she tried to defer induction to several later dates the following week but there was no space available in the maternity ward until August 14.

Dr Doyle said she had “no acute reason to intervene” to carry out a C-section because  — she told the inquest — “everything was going well”.

In her deposition, the baby's mother said she flagged Timmy's reduced movements three times from July 6 until August 11, 2020.

She claimed maternity staff repeatedly told her everything was fine.

The 37-year-old also detailed her symptoms from February 14 to the moment her son died.

They included severe abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, vomiting, and a marked increase in weight despite a constant lack of appetite.

The inquest, at Laois Coroner’s Court, in Portlaoise, heard she had a history of gallstones and maternal diabetes.

Nurses later also discovered she had a liver disease related to her gallstones.

They also found out she had polyhydramnios, a fluid retention condition potentially fatal to unborn babies.

Problems emerging on July 6 included her beginning to suffer severe epigastric pain and vomiting and she was referred to hospital.

While there, she told a maternity assessment unit nurse she was worried her baby was not moving as much as it had.

'Lack of movement'

On July 21, she again voiced her concerns about his “lack of movement”.

She recalled: “I was told a CTG performed that day was normal and that it was just the ‘baby’s pattern of movement’. 

"The nurse did a CTG. I was told baby was fine.” 

Mr Tansey said: “What is troubling the McCarthy family is that Timmy was alive and well on August 11.

“Had there been an intervention, we wouldn’t be here today.” 

Barrister Caoimhe Daly, for the hospital, pointed out that had Eimear been an emergency case, there would have been a slot for her son to be delivered.

While Mr Tansey called on the coroner to give a verdict of medical misadventure, Ms Daly said there were only two verdicts open to him —
one of a narrative verdict or one of natural causes.

She said Timmy and his mother were being properly cared for and the knot to his umbilical chord was "entirely unknown and unexpected".

In giving his narrative verdict, the coroner went over various facts about Timmy's death that were heard during the inquest.

He also noted there was no definite indication or evidence that there had needed to be direct surgical intervention.

"In all the circumstances, I consider that a narrative verdict is appropriate."