Birmingham hospital apologises after delays leave baby disabled

Dilshad Sultana was 36 weeks pregnant with her second child in 2019 when she experienced stomach pain and noticed her baby was moving less.

Mrs Sultana, from Sutton Coldfield, said she had been due to have a Caesarean section on 8 July but on 20 June she started to feel pain in her abdomen and lower back.

She said she was confused but that it did not feel like a contraction and called hospital staff at about 17:00 to say it felt like her baby was moving less.

After following advice to rest and take pain relief, she attended hospital at about 22:30 and staff started monitoring Shanto's heart rate.

It was not until almost three hours later that Shanto was delivered by emergency C-Section. Shanto suffered severe brain damage and would spent the next 22 days in intensive care, suffering seizures and multiple brain haemorrhages.

Shanto now requires around-the-clock care and Mrs Sultana enlisted lawyers to pursue a care of medical negligence against the trust.

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust has admitted liability and made a voluntary interim payment allowing the family to move to a new home specifically adapted to meet Shanto's extensive care, therapy and equipment needs.

Fiona Reynolds, the chief medical officer, said: "We'd like to offer our heartfelt apologies again to the family.

"It's clear the standard of care we offered to them fell below those required and expected. For this, we are truly sorry."

Now, Mrs Sultana is campaigning for change - she wants to see mothers listened to in maternity care and more attention paid to monitoring babies' heart rates.

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Source: BBC News, 27 March 2023