Northland baby suffers as mum alleges healthcare ignored concerns

WARNING: Graphic images.

• Amika Kruger says her 5-month-old daughter Āria suffered due to cultural incompetence in healthcare.
• Āria’s condition worsened after treatments focused on eczema rather than a staph infection.
• Health New Zealand prioritises cultural care and is engaging with the family to address concerns.

A Northland mother says she was traumatised seeing her baby’s unnecessary suffering from raw and burnt skin because healthcare staff did not listen.

Amika Kruger (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tainui, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Maniapoto) spoke publicly about 5-month-old daughter Āria Kruger’s treatment to challenge cultural incompetence in the healthcare system.

“It’s an absolutely heartbreaking situation and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone,” she said.

Āria Krüger smiles for her "Nunna" [Amika's mother] after doctors finally started treating her staph infection.

Health New Zealand responded saying it not only engaged with the Krugers during Āria’s treatment but that cultural care is a top priority.

The two weeks Āria spent in Whangārei Hospital were hell, Kruger said.

Her daughter’s health downfall started in January when Āria developed weeping sores across her cheeks.

The sore on Āria's cheek that became the catalyst for the Kruger whānau's experience.

Kruger said Āria suffers eczema which they opt to treat naturally.

The whānau firmly believe in rongoā Māori (traditional healing). However, Kruger said they turn to modern medicine when they need further help.

Their approach had been working until Āria suffered a staph infection, she said.

Kruger claimed Āria’s eczema was the focal point of treatment rather than the infection.

The whānau visited GPs, who prescribed antibiotics for staph-infected eczema but they did not improve Āria’s skin.

Kruger said Āria had struggled to keep some of the antibiotics down and when she did she broke out in hives.

With their daughter’s skin worsening and treatments failing, a GP recommended they take Āria to Whangārei Hospital’s emergency department.

The whānau were prescribed further antibiotics for eczema, and when that failed steroid cream to treat the skin condition, she said.

Āria’s skin became “angry, red and raw”, so Kruger and her husband Johnny reluctantly decided to use the steroid cream for her eczema knowing a staph infection was the problem.

After two days of using the cream, the skin on Āria’s lower cheeks and the back of her head was raw, weeping and itchy.

Āria's skin despite the use of steroid cream to try and treat her skin.

The whānau returned to the emergency department where Kruger became elated when the doctor decided to tackle the staph infection using antibiotics via an IV line.

However, the line couldn’t be inserted, so suddenly the plan was back to treating Āria’s eczema.

Krüger said she and Johnny (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kūri) were gutted.

Treatment was applying “potent” steroid creams every four hours to Āria’s face and body before covering her in wet tubing wraps.

Āria had to be covered in steroid creams every then placed into wet tubing wraps, says mum Amika.

Āria was in extreme pain, Kruger said.

“[She] was screaming and basically knocked herself out because she couldn’t handle the pain.”

After removing the wraps, Kruger said the whānau noticed Āria’s skin looked scalded and burnt.

The whānau became distressed.

The whānau became distressed when they saw Āria's skin looked scalded and burnt.

“The doctor tried to calm me down and provide me with some reassurance but as you can imagine at this point I was angry and frustrated that our concerns were not listened to from the start,” Kruger said.

The whānau stopped the treatment. They were exhausted.

Whangārei Hospital was their only option as they were denied transfer to Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland.

Another blow was dealt when a decision was made to treat Āria for suspected herpes as the rash looked similar to the skin infection, Krüger said.

The whānau did have a stroke of good luck when after a karakia their friend Kelsey Mitchell (Whakatōhea, Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Koata, Ngāphui) who was a midwife at the hospital, walked past their window.

They called and told her about their “traumatic time”. Mitchell stepped in to advocate for the whānau.

All medical treatments were eventually stopped and the whānau opted to treat her burnt skin with rongoā.

“At this point Āria was unrecognisable from all of the dry and crusted skin that lay thick on her face,” Krüger said.

Amika Krüger says her 5-month-old daughter Āria became unrecognisable.

Sixteen days after the whānau first called a GP about Āria’s skin, their baby was prescribed an antibiotic that would clear the staph infection.

“Our family was so relieved to know that she was going to get the treatment we needed for her right from the beginning,” Krüger said.

“The emotional rollercoaster we have had to endure is one of the most painful and sickening things my husband and I have ever had to go through,” she said.

They had been haunted by the “harrowing screams” of their daughter, the uncertainty of whether Āria was going to be okay, and their fears that Āria’s “beautiful smile” was gone for good.

Āria’s confirmed diagnosis was staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS), which causes skin to blister and peel.

Krüger believed the wrong treatment was given, and the wet wraps and steroid creams worsened her condition overnight.

She said Āria was left burnt and in intense pain.

Krüger did not have a distrust in the medical system. She was thankful for the doctors and nurses who helped and are continuing to help Āria’s recovery.

“But she shouldn’t have needed rescuing.”

Āria alseep in her dad Johnny's arms after her treatment gets on the right track.

Kruger wanted to ensure no babies went through what Āria did.

She urged healthcare workers to listen to whānau when they say they know what is wrong with their child.

A two-way conversation about treatment plans needed to happen, she said.

Health NZ Te Tai Tokerau group director of operations Alex Pimm acknowledged the whānau’s experience and said he recognised having a child in hospital may be distressing.

“We engaged with the family throughout the hospital stay for their tamariki, and we are contacting them directly to discuss their concerns further.”

Pimm said providing safe, high-quality clinical and cultural care to patients was Health NZ’s top priority.

“... We want to reassure the public that we take our obligations and responsibilities very seriously.”

Āria’s case was alarming for Mitchell.

“If you’re expecting whānau to come in and put all their trust in you then you have to do the same back.

“Whānau voice matters.”

Mitchell said she had too often seen or heard of power imbalances between health professionals and whānau regarding rangatiratanga [self-determination] for their treatment.

Pimm encouraged patients and whānau to contact Health NZ directly with concerns.