Hello all
I would like to share my story and I wonder if there are any other parents out there that experienced a similar situation.
My baby (now 8 y.o.) was completely pale towards gray at birth and he was limb/floppy. Labour was induced and very lengthy - 3 prostins + oxytocin was used. My baby got in fetal distress and from the CTG evidence it looks like it was due to cord compression. At birth the consultant explained that the cord was around his body and arm. My son was immediately resuscitated at birth and then got a bit more colour and was breathing independently. They put him on top of me (skin to skin) and he would not latch on/breast feed and still looked limp and seemed very lethargic. I asked if this was normal but they just kept encouraging me to see if he would breastfeed. He did not cry and just remained calm - perhaps also sedated still. He was not taken to NICU or SCBU but we were placed in post natal. There he became more alert and was vommitting after feeds, was very irritable and unsettled over the whole day and night and was floppy more than a normal baby. The post natal staff did nothing in spite of me saying that something was wrong. I was provided with Cow & Gate milk bottles and tried feeding him that way. Next morning my partner and I took him home. So stupid of us but we were so upset and also tired - we did not realise that the way he was was indicating a far worse problem being brain damage. At home he remained unsettled and in the days after that he got a severe convulsion. I went to our GP and he asked the health visitor to monitor out son's health. When he was over two months. I was referred to the hospital for all kinds of checks because my son developed a nystagmus, strabismus, had reflux and it was confirmed that he was hypotonic (low muscle tone/floppy), toe walking etc. He had regular mild convulsions and absences. We always felt it was related to the issues around birth but the MRI done at 18 months apparently was normal. We then did full blood metabolic, genetics etc. which were all normal. I then did another MRI when he was 7 y.o. by an independent academic hospital and the peadiatic neurologist confirmed PVL due to perinatal damage. Now I contacted a clinical negligence solicitor to investigate if the care around birth and for the fetal heart distress was substandard. Here it comes. We obtained a copy of all medical notes which the birth records in theatre state that my son was born live and well, pink warm and alert and good cry. Apgar 6 at 1 and 9 at 5 mins. CTG suspicious but not pathological. It mentions slight oxygen given and handed over to dad. Their story is completely different than ours! The post natal notes mention that he was well but a little irritable and unsettled, vomiting and feeding issues. The problem here is that the courts generally believe the medical notes. What is written down in medical notes is God's gospels in other words. But we know what we've seen and we know that these statements in the medical notes are false/untruthful. My son is 8 and has been diagnosed with moderate dyskinetic cerebral palsy and has a global developmental delay with ASD. He is in special school and has other special needs. His whole future is affected and so are we as his family. I just know that this is a cover up in the notes and my son should be entitled to proper damages and compensation for future loss of income, cost of care etc. I'm so upset as the solicitor may not have a case like this. The firm is still further investigating. As the notes state that My son was pretty much healthy the chances of having a case are probably very slim. Does anyone have tips for me or have experienced a similar situation. There is no justice like this and if hospital staff can get away simply by putting false statements in the medical notes than I'm sure they will do it again. Thank you.