Doctors gave baby all-clear

Nicole Kahaki holding the photo album of her baby, Patience Aroha-Tae, who was born on April 4. Photo / Alan Gibson

A 3-day-old baby who died hours after a doctor prescribed paracetamol for the flu and sent her home was declared healthy when she left the hospital after her birth.

Patience Aroha-Tae was born prematurely on April 4, but mother Nicole Kahaki took her from Waitakere Hospital that day after doctors gave the all-clear, spokeswoman Lydia Aydon confirmed yesterday.

But two days later, Patience started refusing to feed and was constantly crying, so her mother took her to the Westcare White Cross medical centre in Henderson.

Ms Kahaki says a doctor told her not to worry, that her daughter had the flu, and gave the child paracetamol and saline, but Patience died in the Starship hospital hours later.

White Cross has started an internal investigation into the infant's care and her death has been referred to the coroner.

Ms Kahaki is still awaiting autopsy results to find out the cause of Patience's death but Starship records say she had a heart murmur.

Ms Kahaki wants to know why the doctor at White Cross did not pick up on her daughter's condition, and wants him held accountable.

She believes if she had been told to take Patience to a hospital immediately, her baby would still be alive.

Ms Kahaki plans to complain to the Health and Disability Commissioner's office. Deputy commissioner Rae Lamb said it had not yet received any complaint about the baby's care.

She said the commissioner had the ability to begin his own inquiry into a case but one was usually started in response to a complaint.

The commissioner would also have to look at what the coroner was doing before starting an investigation.