Mother dies in childbirth after doctor’s advice against natural birth was lost

An Inquest was heard into the death of a young mother, which could have been avoided, but for the loss of a doctor’s advice against natural childbirth.

The Winchester Coroner’s Court heard how the mother gave birth to her first daughter following a caesarean section, and that she required surgery afterwards to deal with the scarring left by that caesarean.

She was advised by her surgeon not to have a natural birth when she was next pregnant, but this opinion was “lost” during plans for her delivery.

Four years after her first caesarean section, the young mum opted for a natural birth, and although her waters broke, she did not go into spontaneous labour and she was given Syntocinon to move the labour along. She collapsed and suffered a uterine rupture and amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) and died; the baby survived. AFE, according to the NHS, is a rare and usually fatal condition which occurs when amniotic fluid enters the blood vessels which, although normal, in rare cases can cause anaphylaxis.

The Coroner heard evidence that although she wanted a natural birth, the decision was made following the guidance by medical experts treating her. There were inconsistencies in the advice given and evidence from the surgeon who carried out her scar repair from the first caesarean said that he likened this repair to having a second caesarean and that when asked what type of birth she should have if she wanted another child, his advice was to have another caesarean. No one spoke to the surgeon, and as a result, his opinion was lost. The Coroner said: “That voice got lost, and it might have helped her pause and acknowledge the difference to be apparent to those who were following”.

Amanda Cavanagh, Associate in the Medical Negligence team at Ashtons Legal, comments: “Although the Inquest concluded that had this young mother been given all the information, she may well have chosen to have an elective caesarean which would have avoided the rupture, but there was no evidence that she would have avoided the AFE. However, what this sad case does highlight is the importance of record keeping, ensuring the way in which future births are managed and any subsequent treatment required as a result. Recording this advice for future reference would assist medics and allow parents to make informed decisions regarding future birth plans”.

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