Support worker regrets not telling of Kahui concerns

Chris and Cru Kahui died of massive head injuries in June 2006. Photo / Supplied

The Kahui twins' support worker has expressed deep regret for not telling her colleagues about seeing their mother "dump" her baby in his cot while changing his nappy.

Middlemore Hospital whanau support worker Manaaki Poto spoke at the coroner's inquest into the deaths of three-month-old Chris and Cru Kahui today, and tearfully described an incident that she alone knew about, which may have influenced the way social services dealt with the Kahui family.

Ms Poto said she and the family were in a ward in Middlemore Hospital's neonatal unit where Ms King was trying to breast feed the babies. Ms King started yelling at Mr Kahui when he failed to find the nappy wipes she had requested, she said.

She was embarrassed by "another Maori family" being involved in a heated argument, so she closed the curtains, centred herself between the couple and told Ms King to pull herself together.

"I saw (Ms King) dump the baby in the cot, then I turned to Chris to see if there was going to be any reaction but there wasn't, except he moved maybe a couple of steps," she said.

"I didn't see her get a nappy but she had lifted the baby up and thrusted her hand under his bum."

Ms Poto said she thought she could defuse the situation on her own, so she talked to Ms King about the Maori health concept of whare tapa wha - a holistic approach to health based on the symbol of the wharenui - which she seemed to respond well to and she later apologised.

The only reference Ms Poto made to the incident was on a referral to the hospital's community team, which stated: "possibility twins could be at risk".

"I guess I should have elaborated more on it but I didn't, but that was the 'at risk'," she said.

No one questioned her about what she meant by this and it wasn't until two year's later, during Chris Kahui's trial, that she spoke of the incident again.

Ms Poto said after the twins' deaths she requested to be moved to a different ward and had not worked with children since.

Earlier today, Nurse Jane Eyres, who was assigned to provide care for the twins, said if this information had been given to her she would have increased the amount of interaction she had had with the Kahui family.

"Had there been any (concerns for the twins' safety and welfare) I would not have hesitated in having other health care professionals or agencies involved," she said.

And yesterday, Middlemore Hospital social worker Nadine Ingham said seeing all the available information on the family would have made her "lean more strongly towards making a referral to Child, Youth and Family".

Mrs Ingham said there was an inherent lack of communication between statutory organisations like CYF and health professionals, which meant sometimes information was not shared.

It was also sometimes the case that health professionals, such as midwives and social workers, did not approach CYF or the police for information because it would mean they would have to become involved, which might jeopardise their relationship with their clients, she said.

Coroner Evans yesterday proposed it be made statutory duty for health workers to report any child welfare concerns to the police or CYF, which could remove this ethical dilemma.

He also discussed the possibility of creating a way for health professionals to confidentially obtain information about their clients from the police or CYF.

The inquest continues.

- NZPA


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