A brain-damaged four-year-old girl is to receive £1.5 million in settlement of her legal action for alleged negligence in the circumstances of her birth at St Munchin's regional maternity hospital in Limerick.
At the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Barr approved the settlement without admission of liability in favour of Ms Sandra Cooke who, the judge heard, has a life expectancy of 25 years.
Through her mother, Mrs Yvonne Cooke (30) of Cappercullen, Murroe, Co Limerick, the child had taken an action for damages for alleged negligence against the Mid-Western Health Board and two doctors.
The child is a spastic quadraplegic, has epilepsy and suffers from respiratory tract infections. She was born on February 18th, 1995.
In court yesterday, Mr Sean Ryan SC, for the child, said the action arose from Mrs Cooke's first pregnancy. She was over her time but the pregnancy proceeded pretty normally and there had been no features giving rise for alarm. When brought to hospital, it was decided to induce labour and that began on February 16th, 1995. Sandra was born after midnight on February 18th.
The complaint being made on behalf of the child was that drugs were given to induce labour. Mrs Cooke's cervix began to dilate but between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. it stopped dilating.
Mr Ryan said there had been clear evidence on a monitor of foetal distress. He said a Caesarean operation should have been done but, instead, drugs continued to be given. Mr Martin Cooke, the child's father, said Sandra was like a three to four-month-old baby and needed constant care and human companionship.