Deprived of oxygen at birth - next urgent steps advice needed

[Josef23]

Hi

My sister in law and brother have had a child born this morning - second child daughter.

First child son was a traumatic birth emergency c section we did all push for them to have this time a planned c section but consultants convinced them to have normal birth which again resulted in emergency c section.

We are all distraught and I just want to help to help ensure that my brother is pushing the team to do the right things now to minimise any potential brain damage.

I have picked up a few things e.g. Apgar whilst reading other posts and hers was 7 then 9 then 10 after 10 minutes

She did suffer some oxygen loss and they will not give her cooling therapy as they have to cut through the belly button to do that and she is not bad enough to have that done.

Mother is distraught but getting better and can't really talk or do anything as she is fatigued and shattered.

Does Anyone know if that's a bare faced lie and if she can have cooling therapy?

I'm in tears thinking about the little one and just want to help her young innocent children babies shouldn't suffer.

Thanks

Josef

[Redhead17]

I had such a terrible birth after emergency c section the first time I begged for planned nope they insisted natural which I was ok with as we had a plan in place which unfortunately not kept too. I had failed epidural, taccy cardic, infection and then they lost DD heart beat, rushed to theatre cut me open and I screamed the place down as I'd said for 4+ hours this epidural has not worked, I had GA and woke up with no baby, she'd swallowed meconium and was extremely distressed, her scores were 0 then, the call for the crash team failed, (I had my notes after) the aneasnetist left me and got her breathing her score was 1, her heart stopped and crashed team arrived and took her once stabilised to SCBU where after 24 hours they were happy she was breast feeding and rather loud and yellow waking up the other babies.

She is intelligent passes all her phonics with full marks, high level of reading and extremely bright kid. Age had a rough ride coming into this world but she's absolutely fine.

[Loopytiles]

"I am a natural born worrier but it's helped me to foolproof my life and others thus far by thinking ahead"

Worry doesn't usually prevent bad things happening.

This is not your DC. It's not appropriate to espouse opinions with your relatives or on here about what your SIL should have done for her birth (her body, her choice) or to second guess the doctors.

[Holdbacktheriver]

In the nicest possible way op are you medically trained?

No? Leave the Drs who have the relevant medical training and know more than you and yes more than google too, to do their jobs.

Your niece is fine. You are over reacting massively. I'm a midwife and mother of 5 3 of which were traumatic births, youngest Dd had apgars much worse than mentioned and is a healthy happy 2 year old with no brain damage.

I'm proud of our NHS we are incredibly lucky to have it. Please do not go to the hospital.

[TinselTwins]

You don't understand motherhood, pregnancy, the birth experience or the importance of a "good" postnatal period if you think that adding to worry prevents problems

Adding to their worry can increase their isolation (as they'll just start avoiding you and others for their own mental preservation), can contribute to PND, can cause them to not seek help from the professionals you are slagging off, can affect bonding, breastfeeding, and can have lifelong effects on attachment.

Just stop

You're causing problems, not preventing them!

Parents of newborns don't need to be told to worry, that'll be their default

What they need from you is for you to tell them that you love your niece, that she's gorgeous, that your DSIL did great and you hope she feels better soon.

[TinselTwins]

Because right now you're basically telling a new mother that she failed.

You think she failed to do the best for her baby with her birth choices, that she's failing to ask for what you think the baby needs, that she's failing and disappointing.

That is not harmless.

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

Apgars are fine.
Cord pH is fine.
She does not fit criteria for cooling.

Cooling needs to be done within 6 hours when it is needed.

In whose opinion was her last birth horrific? Birth tends not to be the most glamorous experience. Lots of women lose a lot of blood. Fewer women have prolonged hospital stays. However, given your complete overreaction to the current situation I'd also take the previous story "with a pinch of salt"

[PossumInAPearTree]

Acute hypoxia at birth is actually quite common and rarely an issue. Birth is a hypoxic event and babies are well designed to withstand this. Chronic hypoxia is far more of an issue.

Apgars sound fine, cord ph sounds ok. Baby does not meet cooling criteria.

Im a midwife with nearly two decades experience on labour suite btw.

[Leilaniii]

My other brother is a lawyer and he has seen first hand many horror stories - his last client baby died at 16 months due to the same problem...but much more severe....settled out of court as cooling therapy X-rays etc were not offered.

I would hate to think that you were using your DB's child's birth to drum up business for your brother .

[MiaowMix]

I wouldn't worry about the 'lawyer' brother as I doubt he exists.
Hysterical shit-stirring post that's a thinly disguised attempt to smear 'Nhs' doctors.
Because Nhs doctors famously withhold vital treatment for babies. Or anyone.
Absolute load of bullshit.

[Bluntness100]

Op, I'm glad you've left the hospital, your posts are quite discomfiting. To suggest the doctors would bare faced lie and purposefully hurt an infant or let the child suffer is appalling. As is googling and quoting worst case scenarios. I really hope you have not been in there making the situation worse for the parents with this stuff.

Let the doctor deal with it, if you can't even provide a calming reassuring guise, then you need to stay away from the family.

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

You're not a member of Charlie's Army are you OP? This is exactly the sort of hysteria they are whipping up.

[GinSoakedTwitchyPony]

I was just wondering the same, Gast.

[TinselTwins]

That was my very first thought Gast

But just incase this OP really is being this awful about his new nieces birth, figured it was worth spelling out that the OP & family, not the docs, sound like the ones doing harm here

[Birdsbeesandtrees]

People like this always have a lawyer or doctor friend/relative.

[NorthernLurker]

Crikey op, with friends like you........please do try and calm down. You need to concentrate on welcoming your niece, not letting your anxiety have free rein.

[OhTheRoses]

Hmm. 22 years ago DS had the cord wrapped round twice and it was compressed. Fairly traumatic end to labour. He was blue/purple, I have no idea of first apgar but he had to be actively resuscitated. I remember a 6 being mentioned and a 7. He had a night in SCBU.

22.5 years on he's just taken a first from somewhere big and famous. Also played first XV so recovered quite well.

Yes, the hospital could have been a bit more proactive earlier in labour but it was mine and DH's business alone and we didn't tell anybody until 9ish next morning when all was well that he'd been born. Oh and DH is a lawyer but nothing to do with medical negligence.

Back off. You have none of the information first hand.

[peaceloveandbiscuits]

I thought that Gast but probably too abstract for them.

[beela]

My ds was cooled. He's fine now but, take it from me, it is absolutely not something that anyone would wish to go through unless it was absolutely necessary.

Fwiw his apgars were much lower than that.

Let your brother and sil get on with it and leave them be. The doctors know what they are talking about.

[GinSwigmore]

I choose to believe the best of people and if that makes me naive, I'd rather be gullible than cynical. So first of all, congratulations on your niece. Sorry your SIL went through emergency section again, that must have been hard on her. Hope things are and remain fine.
There are many decent knowledgeable people on here, I do hope their replies have reassured you.
Each to their own but I would rather have someone like you fighting my corner than not and I've been through interventions, trauma and depression. There are many many fantastic people working for the NHS. They deserve thanks and praise.
There are also many parents who have a different story to tell and sadly that includes cock ups then cover ups at institutional level. Morecambe Bay springs to mind. That whistleblowers in the NHS are treated fucking appallingly is another issue.
But that does not mean anything is wrong in your case, simply that you are more susceptible to doubt due to your brother's experiences and having been terrified by the mention of hypoxia.
I wish you all the best.

[TrueLove83]

Least you're on their side OP but the docs and nurses do know what they are doing. Please don't worry the family

[TrueLove83]

Josef!! Chill out! Poor Docs and nurses

[MavisFlumpTheFairy]

ODFOD Dr. Odin
Reported

[MavisFlumpTheFairy]

My other brother is a lawyer and he has seen first hand many horror stories - his last client baby died at 16 months due to the same problem...but much more severe....settled out of court as cooling therapy X-rays etc were not offered.

You sound like a hysterical troublemaker op, and posting the above simply stinks.
His discussing confidential information with you is beyond contemptuous, and your sharing it speaks volumes about the type of person you are, particularly as there are identifiable details.

Exploiting your SiL's distress to further your own means is well out of order.