Parents ‘take some comfort’ in new hospital guidelines following death of baby son

After an inquest, Brenda and Michael Ryan said they welcomed new guidelines introduced following the death of their son in 2017 and say they’ll continue to push for better maternity services in his honour. 

The parents of a baby boy, Brenda and Michael Ryan, who died four days after birth at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, have said they take comfort from new guidelines introduced following his death.

In a statement after the inquest reported on Tuesday evening, Brenda Ryan said she felt her pleas for help during the onset of labour were “brushed away.”

“Danny was our beautiful much longed-for son and our first grandchild on my side of the family,” she said in a statement, according to the Irish Times.

She said she was repeatedly told: “I could not be in labour, this resulted in being abandoned in a bath for over an hour.”

Baby Danny was born by emergency C-section which Mrs Ryan said was traumatic, but after only four days, he passed away.

“It was only in the last few hours that we got to hold and cuddle him in the way that he deserved”

According to reports, the inquest heard that as Mrs Ryan developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy, she had scans at 28, 32 and 36 weeks.

According to the consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, there were no concerns about the baby’s growth at that time, reiterated by a midwife on duty.

“The baby was growing consistently, we didn’t have any concern about baby’s growth,” consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, Dr Vineta Ciprike said.

Confused and distressed

Mrs Ryan was induced unsuccessfully in hospital on 15 October, the court heard, and the next day Ryan said she felt pains in the late afternoon and was “confused and distressed” as she believed her waters had broken.

Following an examination later that day, Danny Ryan was born by emergency caesarian and following a transfer to Rotunda hospital, he sadly passed away due to severe brain damage as a result of placental failure, reports RTE.

New guidelines

In a statement, the parents said they took some comfort following the death of their baby boy in with the introduction of new RCSI guidelines, which have been introduced since baby Danny’s death.

“Changes have been made in order to save someone else the heartache of losing a baby in such tragedy”

These guidelines say specifically in cases of mothers with gestational diabetes, induction must take place by forty weeks plus four days, with the aim of delivery within two days of induction.

A review of ultrasound reporting systems was also recommended to improve and optimise the accuracy of foetal growth assessment.

Brenda Ryan said she would honour her son’s short life by continually pushing for improved maternity services.