Midwife ‘did not have any concerns’ despite baby’s high heart rate before birth

Robyn Davis’s labour was progressing normally and there were “no reasons to suspect anything was wrong”, the community midwife told a coroner.

But she was later rushed to hospital for baby Orlando Davis to be born by emergency Caesarean at Worthing Hospital, part of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, on September 10, 2021.

He had no heartbeat and his mother was in an induced coma.

Orlando suffered severe brain damage leaving him quadriplegic with cerebral palsy.

He died two weeks later.

In an inquest into his death in Chichester, the court heard he was probably blind and was unable to swallow on his own.

He died in his parents’ arms in intensive care at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Robyn, 28, who trained as a midwife at the same hospital and worked with the midwives who looked after her suffered life-changing injuries.

Four midwives attended Robyn’s home in Steyning where she had planned to give birth on September 9, 2021, following a normal, low risk pregnancy.

Robyn had drunk around seven litres of fluid without being able to urinate, the inquest heard.

She was rushed to hospital after suffering seizures.

Midwife Eve Smith, who attended the home birth, said based on her notes she would not do anything differently.

“If I went back in a time machine I would have done the same,” she said.

The midwife said she offered to get Robyn to hospital when Orlando’s heart rate increased to 175 beats-per-minute.

“When the rate was 175, I thought she should go to hospital.”

Robyn was encouraged to drink more fluids to help bring down Orlando’s heart rate.

“The heart rate settled which suggested the hydration had resolved the tachycardia and we were expecting birth quite soon.

“I didn’t feel she was becoming unwell,” Mrs Smith said.

The midwife said since the Trust has changed its guidelines on monitoring fluid intake of women in labour.

In a statement read at the inquest, overseen by senior coroner Penelope Schofield, Robyn said Orlando’s death was completely preventable and accused the midwives she used to work with of ignoring her pleas for help.

Asked if she had any concerns about Mrs Davis condition deteriorating, Mrs Smith said: “No and I have a very low threshold.

“Nobody raised any concerns about her condition.”

Chief nurse Maggie Davies, of the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said ahead of the hearing: “We wish to offer our heartfelt condolences to Orlando’s family at this hugely difficult time.

“We will be doing all we can to assist the coroner and the family to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragic loss of their baby boy.”

The inquest continues.