Devastated parents of baby who died hit out at hospital
A heartbroken couple have revealed how delays at a scandal-hit maternity unit led to the death of their longed-for baby.
Alba May's brain was being starved of oxygen during labour but a midwife failed to alert a more senior colleague for 40 minutes.
It was another 30 minutes before the baby - conceived using fertility treatment - was delivered.
By then the lack of oxygen had caused such serious brain damage that Alba May died 62 hours after being born.
Mother Rochelle Pemberton had waited three long years to conceive Alba May with husband Wesley and had endured two failed attempts at fertility treatment.
Devstated parents Wesley and Rochelle Pemberton: A postmortem confirmed their baby Alba May had severe oxygen starvation to her brain after inhaling lumps of meconium (baby faeces) into her lungs
They decided to have their baby at the North Middlesex Hospital in North London which has had serious problems with patient safety.
Rochelle said: 'No new parents expect to leave the hospital without their baby and the pain you feel when you do is indescribable.
'Wesley and I have suffered immeasurably from losing Alba May.'
Rochelle, 34, of Enfield, North London, said: 'While nothing will ever bring her back, we want to know that if mistakes have been made so other parents won't have to suffer the same tragedy.'
North Middlesex Hospital has a recent history of maternity failures. Six month s ago the Care Quality Commission found examples of bullying, harassment and discrimination among staff at all levels and this was putting mothers and babies at risk.
Office worker Wesley, 38, told how he cradled his daughter in his arms in her final few hours.
He said: 'She looked so perfect, but inside her head there was so much brain damage that she couldn't have survived. We want answers from the hospital because we believe this shouldn't have happened.'
A postmortem confirmed Alba May had severe oxygen starvation to her brain after inhaling lumps of meconium (baby faeces) into her lungs.
The hospital's investigation found that besides delays, the hospital's own guidance for staff didn't have correct advice on meconium inhalation and there were delays by other staff in getting speedy delivery of Alba- May.
Rochelle said: 'No new parents expect to leave the hospital without their baby and the pain you feel when you do is indescribable
The meconium had been detected in Rochelle's waters at the birthing centre - run by midwives but the newly-qualified midwife, failing to understand its significance, and did not take action for 40 minutes.
The baby was eventually delivered by a doctor on a neighbouring ward but by then damage had been done.
Alba May was transferred to nearby Homerton Hospital where doctors tried to reverse and limit the brain damage by cooling her down on a special mattress, but she died on August 12 last year.
A spokesman for North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust said: 'Our investigation shows that unfortunately the midwifery team did not pick up signs of possible foetal distress early enough in what was otherwise a low risk labour.
'We have discussed all the findings with the staff concerned and we have changed our procedures to ensure that we provide better care in future.'
Neither hospital has reported Alba May's death to the coroner. But a leading obstetrician said an inquest is needed.
A spokesman for North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust said: 'Our investigation shows that unfortunately the midwifery team did not pick up signs of possible foetal distress early enough in what was otherwise a low risk labour
Professor Philip Steer, editor of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynae, has questioned why Alba May's death was not reported to the coroner.
He said all deaths of children under 18 should be reported to a coroner for safeguarding purposes and particularly in this case where the baby's death may be linked to lack of medical treatment.
Last year a new mum died at North Middlesex after staff allegedly failed to give her anticlotting medication following the birth of her child.
Another baby died in the womb after doctors allegedly abandoned plans for an emergency caesarean on the mu m, and instead left her unmonitored for three hours on a trolley while a consultant carried out a pre-planned caesarean on another patient.
Irwin Mitchell lawyer Sarah Wealleans, representing the Pembertons, said: 'It is important for Rochelle and Wesley to get definitive answers as to why Alba May died.'Â
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