Singleton Hospital surgeon's error 'did not cause baby's death'

Millie-Ray Kimberly Dowd was born at Singleton Hospital in January 2017.

A premature baby died shortly after her head was cut during an emergency Caesarean section - but there is no evidence it led to her death, an inquest has heard.

Millie-Ray Kimberly Dowd died minutes after being born Singleton Hospital, Swansea, on 12 January 2017.

Swansea Coroner's Court heard that doctors intervened after her heart rate had dropped to dangerous levels.

The hearing was also told her mother's pregnancy had been "high risk".

Assistant coroner Aled Gruffydd was told that Millie's mother, Stacey Mears, first attended Prince Philip Hospital, in Llanelli , for a routine check-up.

But after after being told she had low-lying placenta she was sent to Singleton Hospital.

Ms Mears' pregnancy was described as "high risk" by obstetricians

On January 12, while attending an appointment, Ms Mears was readmitted as inpatient after she began bleeding and experiencing pains.

An emergency c-section was carried out after Millie's heart rate dropped.

Consultant obstetrician Paul Michael Flynn recalled there being a lot of blood after cutting through the placenta as part of the operation.

He told the hearing he thought, at one stage, he had cut through the amniotic sac - but in "hindsight" he had cut into Millie's head.

Dr Flynn was asked whether he should have performed a scan to find the exact position of the baby beforehand - but stressed he did not have time to "dawdle" and waiting could have proved fatal in itself.

Ms Mears, who was under general anaesthetic, woke up to be told her daughter had died.

After apologising for the "distress my error has caused", Dr Flynn told Millie's family: "I obviously wish the outcome would have been different."

Independent report

Following the death, an independent report was written by Dr Malcolm Griffiths - an experienced consultant and clinical director in obstetrics.

He said the three minutes it took from Dr Flynn's first incision to Millie being delivered met his "expectations" of "a c-section in these circumstances".

He added: "Had Millie not had all the other problems then this [cut] would have been quite a disastrous injury which would have had significant consequences."

When asked whether Millie's death would have occurred if her head injury had not happened, Dr Griffiths replied: "Yes, undoubtedly."

A post mortem report said Millie had died as a result of suffocation.

The two day hearing, which is taking place at Swansea Civic Centre, continues on Tuesday.