The Coombe hospital has apologised to a Dublin couple over the death of their baby in a botched delivery more than two decades ago.
The hospital admitted Catherina McGarry from Sallynoggin should have had a Caesarean section at an earlier point in her delivery. This would have resulted in her baby, Jennifer Anna, not being delivered by forceps vaginally and thereby “most likely” avoided the injury that occurred to her spinal cord and caused her death, according to an official report.
Jennifer Anna's death at the age of 2½ months in February 1992 should have been reported to the coroner so it could be investigated, the report by former master of the Coombe Dr Chris Fitzpatrick said.
Dr Fitzpatrick said time that passed between the baby’s death and a formal response by the Coombe was unacceptable “for whatever reason”.
Mrs McGarry (50) has demanded a criminal investigation into the case. She and her husband, Stephen, learned in 2012 their baby’s brain and spine had been taken without their knowledge.
“We buried a shell. We never even got to bury our baby girl’s full body and nobody bothered to tell us,” she said.
A national audit of retained organs and postmortem practices was carried out in 2009 following controversy over practices in many hospitals but the McGarrys were not included in this exercise.
Dr Fitzpatrick acknowledged the death of Jennifer Anna should have been reported and then investigated. Consent should have been obtained from the couple in relation to the retention of organs and they should have been notified of the audit, he said.
Review team
The review team attempted to contact 35 members of staff involved in the care of Mrs McGarry and her daughter but did not succeed in speaking to any of those present at the delivery.
Mrs McGarry was admitted to the Coombe on November 27th, 1991, after going into labour with the couple’s first child. The labour took longer than expected and the then 26- year-old claims she was told she would undergo a Caesarean the following day.
Forceps
Instead, a registrar delivered the child using a forceps. This doctor, who has since moved to the UK, described the birth as a routine delivery.
In their interview with investigators, the parents said Mrs McGarry “felt like her whole insides were being pulled out”. According to the parents, the doctor said: “Oh s***, I think she’s gone.” The HSE report said: “The baby appeared to be asphyxiated with forceps marks on her face and skull.”
Jennifer Anna was brought to the specialist-care baby unit, where she died in her mother's arms on February 14th, 1992. They have been assured by Dublin city coroner Dr Brian Farrell an inquest will take place.
The couple tried many more times to have children but suffered seven miscarriages. About 10 years ago they attempted to adopt but were told they were too old. Mr McGarry said: “The damage that was done to Catherina destroyed her. We have had no lives since this happened to her.”
They took their case to a solicitor but no proceedings resulted and now they have been told it is too late to take a case. Pleas for meetings with Minister for Health Leo Varadkar and Taoiseach Enda Kenny have been rejected.
A spokesperson for the Coombe said it “cannot comment on any individual case, past or present”.
