Inadequate health care when a baby died

UNN University Hospital in Northern NorwayTor Ingebrigtsen, CEO of UNN . Photo: UNN

Health directorate: Hospital provided inadequate health care when baby died

The hospital of Northern Norway (UNN) provided insufficient health care when a baby died at birth, the Norwegian Board of Health concludes.

 

A baby died after it was left with the head trapped outside during the last part of the birth. The two midwives who handling the birth were both novices and were attending as night watchmen. According to Helsetilsynet, this contributed to that they did not recognize the situation as being risky.

– It therefore took some time before they called on another midwife with more experience. This midwife took over the redemption and pulled the child out. Still a long time passed from the dangerous situation occurred before the birth, leading to that the child died, the audit writes, believing that there have been breaches of the Special Health Services Act and the Health Personnel Act in this case.

Left alone in risky situations

The hospital is criticized for not ensuring that the newly educated midwives ‘were not left alone in demanding and risky situations’.

– We consider that there is a close relationship between the skill level of the two midwives present during the bitrth, and the health care the mother and child were offered during the birth, the Norwegian Health Authority states.

The authority believes that the requirements for recording were not heeded and that the follow-up of the child’s parents was inadequate after the discharge.

Apology

– After the incident, UNN has regretted how the couple was followed up after the incident and acknowledged that the relationship was not good enough. As a result of the incident, they now work with raising of competence, and have removed some of the night postings for the newly employed. They have spent more on teaching and competence improvement during working hours, including night watches, according to the audit.

The hospital has also taken grip regarding the journals.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today