KEY POINTS:
A baby's brain injury death could have been avoided if a midwife had realised he was in trouble earlier.
Francisco Lui Manulaiatea died six days after he was born at Hutt Hospital on December 29, 2004.
Coroner Garry Evans found midwife Kirsten Rupp's care fell short of acceptable standards because she did not realise until too late Francisco's head had been crushing the umbilical cord, The Dominion Post reported today.
Rupp examined Sokopeti Manulaiatea at 9am on December 29 finding that the baby's head was in a high position, which could indicate a risk of the cord having fallen in front of the baby.
However, she did not do an internal examination and sent Mrs Manulaiatea home to wait as her contractions were irregular and she did not seem to be in labour.
Francisco was Mrs Manulaiatea's fourth child and she was six days overdue.
Obstetrician David Wilde said most doctors would have done an internal examination.
The cord prolapse would have occurred anyway, but in hospital "the chances are the bay would have been rescued", he said.
Rupp admitted not asking Mrs Manulaiatea how far apart the contractions were and said if she had known how close they were she would have arranged to meet her in hospital.
- NZPA
