Swansea hospital baby death caused by lack of oxygen before birth

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

A premature baby whose head was cut during an emergency Caesarean section died from lack of oxygen before she was born, an inquest has ruled.

Millie-Ray Kimberly Dowd died minutes after being born at Singleton Hospital, Swansea, in 2017.

Doctors intervened after her heart rate dropped, Swansea Coroner's Court heard.

Assistant coroner Aled Gruffydd recorded a verdict of natural causes and the hospital said it had made improvements to neonatal emergencies.

Mr Gruffydd said the cause of Millie's death was perinatal asphyxiation due to an abruption of the placenta.

This meant she was deprived of oxygen after the placenta came away from the womb before childbirth.

Head injury 'traumatic'

On 12 January, Millie's mother Stacey Mears began bleeding and experiencing pains and an emergency C-section was carried out after her daughter's heart rate dropped to 80bpm.

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

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

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

"Whilst the head injury was traumatic for the family, it did not cause the death," Mr Gruffydd said.

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

Following Millie's death, an independent report by Dr Malcolm Griffiths said he believed her death would have happened even if Dr Flynn's error had not occurred.

Mr Gruffydd told the family they were right to question why a C-section was not carried out an hour sooner when concerns about the baby's heart rate were raised.

He said he had to "reluctantly agree" with expert evidence that a C-section could have been done sooner, but there was "no clear evidence to support this".

Mr Gruffydd also said the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board had told him it had made improvements to neonatal emergencies like these.

"I appreciate my findings will not bring Millie back," he added. "But hopefully it will help others not to have to go through what Stacey has."

Millie's family declined to comment following the hearing's conclusion.