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Original poster

OMG: Forceps crush newborn's skull.

88 replies

Alexa808 · 22/04/2008 08:36

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1072384.ece

I honestly don't know what to say...

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 22/04/2008 11:34

omg, SK!

DD1 had scrapes in the shape of the blades on either side.

but they were literally just that, scrapes.

and faded completely.

i should write that lady a letter of thanks with a photo of DD1's beautiful face.

SSSandy2 · 22/04/2008 11:34

wouldn't have expected that soupkitchen. Did it heal ok or leave permanent marks?

Just wondering how widely used forceps actually are and how difficult it is for the person using them to gauge whether they are exerting too much pressure or not

StarlightMcKenzie · 22/04/2008 11:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ImightbeLulumama · 22/04/2008 11:38

no it does not ! it highlights an outmoded practice that is outlawed , certainly here and in teh USA, afaik.

this type of injury ,and those suffered by Soupkitchen's DD, whilst being horrific, are not typical

when forceps are used correctly, they are to guide the baby down and out., not to drag and pull with all the doctors' might.

this is scaremongering and totally unhelpful to suggest it is what forceps deliveries are always like

MargaretMountford · 22/04/2008 11:38

blimey SK - poor baby..ds had faint marks about his cheeks and a tender top of his head from the ventouse but I dread to think of the consequences of his not being delivered that way,,was too late for Caesarian by then.

SSSandy2 · 22/04/2008 11:42

I hear you lulu. So if this article is reporting it right, the doctor can't have known what he was doing. How very sad to lose your baby that way but was no one else there to intervene if he was so obviously handling it the wrong way?

MamaG · 22/04/2008 11:43

I've just emailed MNHQ with the following:-

Sorry to be a Queen, but is there any chance the title of this could be changed? As a pg MNer I found it upsetting and while I will hide the thread, I'm sure others will find it upsetting too.

Hope nobody minds

MargaretMountford · 22/04/2008 11:45

would pregnant mners know that it's bound to be an upsetting post by the title and avoid ?

MargaretMountford · 22/04/2008 11:45

I meant wouldn't there

MamaG · 22/04/2008 11:46

the TITLE is upsetting, as well as the article!

ImightbeLulumama · 22/04/2008 11:47

the title itself is upsetting to pregnant, and a lot of other MNers i woudl think.

sssnady, the doctor was either not trained, or was trained but chose to carry out the delivery in a brutal and nasty fashion, IMO. it is not typical of forceps delivery. i just want to reiterate that , as it is such a frightening headline and article.

MargaretMountford · 22/04/2008 11:48

fair enough, it is quite brutally to the point

SoupKitchen · 22/04/2008 12:08

I don't mean to scaremonger Lulu but I think that whilst the procedure is carried out frequently and effectively and without harm occasionally the risk of the procedure presents itself and incidents such as the on in the news( not competant I know) and mine do occur.

All procedures carry risk however small, I know that injury is definately the exception rather than the rule. The dr carrying out my procedure had carried out several hundred forceps deliveries in his carrer and was devastated by my daughters injury.

DD still has textural scars but no lasting redness however she is concious of it.

ImightbeLulumama · 22/04/2008 12:19

you are right, and it is right that these incidents are brought to light.

Original poster
Alexa808 · 23/04/2008 06:35

SK: just saw the picture of your DD. The affected cheek looks horrible. Thank God the pics of her being older look lovely.

A word to all of you, I do not know how to change the title of this thread. I'm pregnant myself and stumbled over the article whilst having my morning tea. I was so upset by it and just copied the original Sun title in. If anyone can advise how to change it, please let me know.

Who is normally in a delivery theatre? Surely more than just one doctor... It seems this is the second time malpractice has occurred at this particular hospital.

The father to this baby lost his previous wife and unborn child (also a girl) in a delivery gone wrong.

How come the NHS doesn't seem to investigate properly and implement monitoring and screening for deliveries if it's already gone wrong once?

On another note: I didn't know forceps were used in c-sections? Could anyone explain why? I thought they open your abdomen and bring the baby out with their own hands? Am I wrong?

OP posts:
ImightbeLulumama · 23/04/2008 07:07

there would have been other medical staff there, at least a midwife, possibly a peadiatrician too.. maybe others. who knows if they said anything or tried to intervene?

AussieSim · 23/04/2008 07:27

This kind of incident is the reason why I am privately insured and select my own obstetrician. It is horrendously expensive and when everything goes swimmingly like my last delivery you can't help feeling that you have paid too much, but for the case of something not going right ... The idea of having a baby in the UK on the NHS scares the hell out of me after years of being a MNer. I am 36weeks and wish I hadn't read this thread. I am sure if forceps are recommended to me in the near future I will freak out now. My sister was delivered by forceps and the first time I saw her her head was squashed into an odd shape and she had a black eye and other bruising.

piratecat · 23/04/2008 07:48

omg

sweetkitty · 23/04/2008 08:02

What a shocking story that poor poor man and the mother as well. I have a friend who's baby died from medical negligence and I know the effect it has had on her life.

Soupdragon - am shocked at your pic I knew forceps left a little scar for a few days but didn't knwo they did that.

Beauregard · 23/04/2008 13:32

How very sad
Poor baby

WaynettaSlob · 23/04/2008 13:38

It is standard for this type of delivery or there to be up to 12 people in the theatre. I remember being when told that at the NCT class, but was glad I was because when it was my turn, sure enough it was pretty busy in there! can't remember the make up nut I think it was consultant x 2, registrar, midwife, 2 baby-nurses, some other nurses...erm......either way certainly enough people to yell stop.

oiFoiF · 23/04/2008 13:40

gosh thast absolutely bloody awful the parents seem to have experienced such tradegy prior to this too

expatinscotland · 23/04/2008 13:42

Really, Waynetta?

There was on the MW, the anaesthetist, the consultant and the 3 juniors she selected and whom I allowed to observe.

A paed was on the unit, and would come running if needed, but DD1 had an 9 APGAR score.

WaynettaSlob · 23/04/2008 13:43

AussieSlim - I have had two babies delivered fabulously under NHS. First was failed ventouse followed by successful foreceps (large, back to back baby, knackered Mum), second straight forward.
These stories highlighted here are tragic, however we must not lose sight of the fact they are the exceptions, not the rule. I am pg with # 3, and would happily go through either delivery again (though out of choice I'd prefer the second [win]) as both resulted in magnificent beautiful healthy boys.

Good luck, and don't dwell on it it, please

WaynettaSlob · 23/04/2008 13:46

Yes Expat - I remember because one of our 'exercises' on the NCT class was to select who, from a collection of teeny medical figures, would be in the theatre, and naturally we all left a few out (not too many though - we were neurotic first timers!!), and were made to back and assign roles to everybody, because they would all be there.