My newborn dropped on the hospital floor and took his last breath a few minutes later

How can you ensure your child's safety after giving birth to him? Here are some delivery room procedures you should know about.

What you can read in this article?

• Delivery room procedures weren't followed for this mom
• Newborn dropped on the hospital floor
• 5 delivery room procedures that ensure your newborn's safety

A safe pregnancy is every mother's dream. But this dream can only come true when you have support at home and in the hands of a good gynecologist who can take care of your newborn.

Unfortunately, this was not the case with New Zealand mom Limna. At 22 weeks of her pregnancy, she started experiencing severe bleeding and abdominal pain. When she came to the hospital to have it checked, the staff at the Auckland City Hospital told her there was nothing to be worried about.

However, the result of this alleged negligence was heartbreaking, to say the least. Not only were the delivery room procedures overlooked, but her baby failed to survive, too.

Delivery room procedures weren't followed

The mom, who was pregnant last year, was not unsure of her pregnancy health so she went to Auckland City Hospital for a quick checkup. But, she was sent home after tests showed that her baby had a strong heartbeat.

Unfortunately, her symptoms worsened and she returned to the hospital the next day.

According to a report in New Zealand Herald, 35-year-old Limna shared that when her pain intensified, she immediately knew that her baby was coming. To everybody's dismay, her midwife gave her laughing gas to ease the pain.

No one allegedly bothered to physically examine the mother and see if it was the contractions that were causing her pain.

Newborn dropped on the hospital floor

While Limna screamed and cried from the excruciating pain for over three hours, her husband and their 10-year-old daughter watched her helplessly. But not a single doctor came to help her while she was in labor.

Finally, a female doctor came into the delivery room, but according to the family, Limna was asked to "shut up.”

Her husband as quoted in the report said, "No woman can keep her mouth shut or lower their screaming when she is delivering a baby - and my wife was giving birth to our baby boy at that time."

Within seconds, much to everybody's horror, they saw the newborn pop out and land directly on the floor.

Despite the medical staff's attempt to revive the infant, he died 90 minutes later. The devastated family named their lost child "Siddhartha" after Buddha.

The tragic accident

A year has gone by but the pain of losing a child in a tragic way continues to affect the mother. Limna shared that the sound of her baby landing on the floor still haunts her.

The distraught parents, who are New Zealand citizens, believe racism is the reason why their son didn't survive. The mom was quoted saying, "I felt like they didn't even want to touch me because of the color of my skin."

Auckland District Health Board mentioned that the family's complaint "didn't meet the criteria" to be reported to an independent body, Health Quality & Safety Commission, for a review.

As a result, the baby's death was not referred to the coroner for investigation by the board.

The board’s management said they were "very sorry for [the family's] personal experience of our care." They acknowledged there was work to do in regards to "equitable care to all those who come through our women's health services."

However, the family remains undeterred and wants to continue seeking justice. Six months ago, they submitted a formal complaint to New Zealand's health watchdog, the Health and Disability Commission.

They are still awaiting the decision on whether the body will probe baby Siddhartha's death.

What Limna and her family experienced was tragic, and we hope that no other mom has to go through this ordeal ever again.

But the fact is had the delivery room procedures been followed thoroughly, this tragedy could have been avoided.

5 Delivery room procedures that ensure your newborn's safety

Regardless of whether you had a vaginal delivery or a caesarian section, every hospital has certain delivery room procedures that need to be followed to ensure the safety of the mother and the newborn.

The first step starts with reaching the hospital in time, followed by labor that can last for several hours. So be prepared to spend long hours inside the delivery room.

1. The delivery

If it is vaginal birth, the baby will slide out slowly in waves as your uterus contracts. As the baby comes out, it will turn to the side naturally. This is where the staff needs to be extremely careful while handling the baby, as she is still covered in vernix caseosa, a cheese-like substance and may be slippery.

2. Cleaning the baby

After your baby comes out, the doctor will clamp and cut the umbilical cord. It is usually clamped immediately after birth. But according to a new study, delaying cord clamping after birth by five minutes can have positive effects on the brain structure of newborn infants.

After the cord is cut, the medical staff will then clean the baby's nose and mouth with a bulb syringe. They may also use a clean towel to wipe away the fluid and the membrane from the baby's airway.

3. Providing warmth for the newborn

A newborn baby is wet from the amniotic fluid and can easily become cold. Drying the baby and using warm blankets and heat lamps can help prevent heat loss.

Placing a baby skin-to-skin on your chest or abdomen also helps to keep the baby warm. This early skin-to-skin contact also reduces crying, improves your interaction with your baby, and will help you to breastfeed successfully.

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4. Immediate tests on the newborn

One of the first checks is the Apgar test. The Apgar test is a scoring system that evaluates the condition of the newborn at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth. The baby's pulse rate, muscle tone, reflex, and skin color will be taken into account for the score.

A score of 7 to 10 is considered normal. A score of 4 to 6 may mean that the baby may require careful monitoring. If the score is 3 or below means that the baby needs rescue breathing and lifesaving techniques.

5. Physical examination of the newborn

At this time, other important activities like measuring the child's temperature, heartbeat, and respiratory rate will be done. The baby's weight, length and head circumference will be measured. This will reveal whether the baby's measurements are normal.

Remember that small or underweight babies and very large babies may need special attention and care.

Once the baby's temperature has stabilised, they can be given their first bath (this may not be the case in most cases or as advised by the doctor). Along with the baby, the mother's vitals will also be monitored. For instance, checking on her temperature and her blood pressure.

News source: New Zealand Herald, Hopkins Medicine

Republished with permission from theAsianparent Singapore