Debacle of misdiagnosed miscarriages

Three babies are alive today because of their mothers’ insistence on getting a second opinion when pregnancy scans showed they had died in their wombs. The circumstances of two cases at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and University College Hospital in Galway have sent shockwaves around the country as many women who experienced miscarriages ask if similar mistakes could have been made in their cases.

Details of which West of Ireland hospital is at the centre of a third, more recent, case of a misdiagnosed miscarriage has not been made public yet.
In the outpouring of anger and bewilderment since the incidents came into the public domain in recent days, the principal question being asked is, “Is this the tip of the iceberg?” Also, did women who were misdiagnosed end up losing healthy babies?
It is, of course, impossible to say how many, if any, misdiagnoses resulted in the deaths of unborn infants. Nevertheless, in the light of this week’s revelations, many families still mourning the loss of an infant through miscarriage will carry the added burden of dwelling on “what if a second opinion had been sought”.
Having a miscarriage is a traumatic experience for any woman, especially if she does not already have children, so it is imperative that hospitals can be relied upon to give a completely accurate diagnosis in respect of scans. As demonstrated in the cases that have come to light, it can be a matter of life or death.
Michael and Melissa Redmond from Donabate in County Dublin are outraged that it took six months for the Health Service Executive to replace the “outdated and unsuitable” equipment that had been used when their misdiagnosis occurred. They are seeking an independent investigation into the handling of their case by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
When scanned at the Drogheda hospital last July, Mrs Redmond, who previously experienced miscarriages, was told her unborn baby had died. An appointment was set for her to have the foetus removed in a D&C procedure three days later. She still “felt pregnant” and when morning sickness continued, she doubted the results of the scan and decided to get a second opinion from her own GP. When the scanner was placed on her stomach, she could immediately see a heart beat.
Melissa Redmond continued to attend the hospital for the rest of the pregnancy and was happy with the treatment and her baby boy was safely delivered 13 weeks ago.
The Galway story is quite similar. A doctor told Martha O’Neill-Brennan from Athenry that her unborn baby was dead when she had a scan at the University College Hospital in 2006.
She was asked if she wanted to immediately undergo a procedure to have the foetus removed. She wanted to make arrangements for the care of her other children so she went home. When she returned to the hospital she insisted on having a further scan even though a member of staff was reluctant to offer it. The scan confirmed Martha’s belief that her baby was still alive.
Speaking on Breakfast with Claire Byrne and Ivan Yates on Newstalk on Wednesday, another woman explained how she was told her baby had no foetal heartbeat at nine weeks and two weeks later was told “there’s nothing wrong”.
Elizabeth, (not her real name) is now 15 weeks into her pregnancy. She made a complaint to the West of Ireland hospital and received an apology on Tuesday.
At the nine week scan, Elizabeth was told her baby had no heart beat. She was offered a D&C the following day but due to personal circumstances she made arrangements for the following week.
On her second visit she was give another scan and when she saw the screen “there was a waving baby and it was kicking and its heartbeat was still on the screen”.
Interviewed on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Dr Barry White of the HSE said the introduction of second mandatory scan would be advisable. “I would accept that in most situations a mandatory second scan would seem to be the appropriate way to go, regardless of what the practice is internationally. To me it seems like the safest option,” he said.
The Minister for Children Barry Andrews has suggested the establishment of maternity centres of excellence in the wake of revelations about misdiagnosed miscarriages. A new approach to maternity care should now be considered, the minister has acknowledged.
The HSE has put in place a programme to standardise obstetric care across the country for both public and private patients. It is being led by Professor Michael Turner, in association with the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
It is reasonable to expect that other cases of misdiagnosed miscarriages will emerge but the HSE has an obligation to minimise the risk of this recurring. As a matter of priority, every piece of scanning equipment in every hospital in the county must be inspected, overhauled and, where necessary, replaced. There can be no wriggling out of this. Finance must be found, from whatever source, to deal with this.
The lives of countless unborn infants could hang in the balance if scans cannot be relied upon.

Homeless in Clare
Homelessness knows no frontiers. Ennis councillors are fearful that some of Limerick’s homeless people might seek refuge in the Banner but a council official suggested it could be a two-way traffic situation.
Bernadette Kinsella, of Clare County Council’s housing section, said that an analysis of people who are homeless in Limerick could show that several had roots in County Clare.
At a meeting of Ennis Town Council this week, it was disclosed that the number of people presenting as homeless in Clare increased by 17% in 2009, a greater increase than in any other part of the Mid-West.
A report showed that on 482 occasions people presented as homeless in Clare in 2008 but this increased to 565 last year.
Councillors expressed concerns about having a Limerick City Council-led regional strategy, amid fears that homeless people from Limerick City, where 940 presented as homeless last year, could be farmed out to Clare. The number of people who presented as homeless in County Limerick last year was 424.
Wherever Clare’s homeless people originate, the most important thing is to help them and this cannot be achieved by looking at things from a narrow perspective. Help should be administered on the basis of needs.