Inquest hears of baby's 'swelling'

The baby died at Antrim Area Hospital

A doctor has told an inquest into the death of a County Antrim baby he saw swelling on her head hours before she died.

Dr Calum MacLeod told Belfast Coroner's Court on Tuesday that the swelling was consistent with the pushing and pulling of a vacuum delivery device.

Emma Shanks died in Antrim Area Hospital on 28 March 2000 when her brain was starved of oxygen and she suffered bleeding on the surface of her skull.

However, the consultant paediatrician, said the swelling did not strike him as being out of the ordinary despite the fact the baby girl died nine hours after she was born.

Haemorrhage

Dr MacLeod told the court baby Emma had very little chance of survival after her birth.

He said she was grey and cold, and completely unreactive to stimulae.

He said he decided to place Emma on a ventilator because her heart rate was being maintained.

He told the baby's parents, Michael and Jillian Shanks from Carrickfergus, that he did not expect Emma to survive, however, they wished her to go on to the life-support machine, he added.

Despite maximum support, Dr MacLeod said the situation became "hopeless" and Emma died.

Under questioning by a solicitor for the Shanks family, Dr MacLeod said he believed it was likely that Emma died due to a haemorrhage caused by the attempted vacuum extraction.

Emma's father, Michael, told Belfast Coroner's Court on Monday that a doctor's face became flushed, and the veins on his neck and forehead were visible, as he repeatedly attempted to deliver the baby by putting a special vacuum hose to her head.

Mr Shanks said he believed the doctor attempted to attach the vacuum to the baby's head at least twice to carry out the ventouse delivery, before ordering an emergency caesarian section.

The inquest continues.