Probe launched into death of a 4-day-old baby at NA Hospital

An investigation is underway into the death of a four-day-old baby girl at the New Amsterdam Hospital, Regional Health Officer Dr Vishalya Sharma has confirmed.

The News Room understands that the baby, Deahra Kenya Darlington, was born prematurely on March 24 and as such her lungs did not develop properly.

But the infant’s mother Dikesia Alert believes that it was negligence that led to her baby’s death.

The 21-year-old mother told the News Room that it was her first pregnancy and she took all the necessary precautions during the months leading up to delivery to ensure that her baby was born healthy.

A post mortem conducted on the infant revealed that she died as a result of acute bleeding in the lungs (pulmonary haemorrhage) compounded by acute renal failure.

Pulmonary haemorrhage occurs as a result of congenital lung malformations, physical trauma, and infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, or cystic fibrosis. While acute renal failure occurs when your kidneys suddenly become unable to filter waste products from your blood.

The grieving mother told the News Room that she experienced no complications throughout her pregnancy but on March 24 she began experiencing pains and started spotting blood. After she visited the New Amsterdam Hospital, she was told that she was in labour and was dilated to four cm.

By 16:34hrs, Alert delivered her baby via caesarean; the baby weighed 1.4 kg (three pounds) and was placed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

“She born with a lungs problem and her lungs were not developed because I was 32 weeks,” Alert explained.

According to Alert, during the time her baby was in the NICU “she was doing well.”

The mother was discharged on Sunday but her baby remained in the unit to be monitored.

On Monday, Alert said at about 04:00hrs she was informed by a doctor that her baby had developed a breathing problem; she said a suction procedure was performed to help the baby breathe.

“They had to suction the baby and when they suctioned the baby, blood came out, when she did the second suction, blood came up again,” the grieving mother recalled.

Alert explained that doctors then decided to transfer the baby to the Georgetown Public Hospital but at about 11:10hrs on Monday while waiting for transportation, she was told that her baby had died.

The Regional Health Authorities and medical professionals are expected to meet with the young mother.

Alert has also mentioned that if satisfaction is not provided, she will take the matter to court.