A woman whose newborn son died in April 2015 two days after his birth at Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, has settled on confidential terms her High Court action over his death.
Baby Stevie Cullivan was named after his father, who had died just months earlier in December 2014 following a heart attack.
Sandra Cullivan, who had hoped a part of her husband would live on in their son, sued the HSE for shock-induced psychiatric injury following the baby’s death. Her counsel Oonagh McCrann SC, with Doireann O’Mahony BL, told the court today it has been a very traumatic time for the widow and mother.
Ms Cullivan was aged 36 when she went to the hospital for induction of birth on April 28th, 2015. Her son Stevie was born at 11.59pm but died on April 30th. A verdict of medical misadventure was returned at the inquest into the death of baby. He suffered a lack of oxygen to the brain shortly before birth.
Outside court today, Ms Cullivan said, in a statement, it had been a very long and hard road to get answers.
“Stevie had only two days in this world. No words can express my grief but with the help of my legal team I got answers,” she said. “I would encourage all women and families to insist on answers and not be afraid to get help in asking tough questions.”
The hospital apologised to Ms Cullivan by letter and offered sincere and deepest sympathy on the sad loss of the baby. “[The] hospital would like to again convey our sincere apologies for the deficits in care that were identified as part of the review that took place. I can confirm the recommendations outlined in the review have been fully implemented,” the hospital general manager Shona Schneemann said in the letter.
In her action, Ms Cullivan, Ribbontail Way, Longwood, Co Meath, claimed her labour was chaotic and inadequately supervised with no proper midwife assistance.
The CTG monitoring, it was alleged, was grossly inadequate. It was claimed signs of foetal distress in the second stage of labour were not identified and the baby suffered a hypoxic ischaemic insult. It was also claimed sub-standard care was provided to Ms Cullivan and her unborn child and there were alleged failures to ensure proper midwife attendance during the labour and continuous CTG monitoring. Liability was admitted in the case.
Ms Cullivan was admitted to the hospital on April 28th, 2015 with her mother by her side as her birth partner. Early CTG monitoring was reassuring but it was claimed there was no CTG recording at certain points. Her side contended, had there been one-to-one midwife care, there would have been early warning signs of foetal distress and the opportunity to intervene before the hypoxic ischaemic episode.
The baby was delivered at 23.59pm on April 28th, intubated and resuscitated and referred to a Dublin hospital where he died on April 30th.
Ms Cullivan suffered severe shock when she was told her baby had died and was extremely traumatised and suffered psychiatric injury consequent to the shock.
Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Kevin Cross offered his sympathy to Ms Cullivan on her “terrible succession of tragedies.”
