A HEARTBROKEN couple whose first child died after being injured by forceps during her birth are considering suing hospital bosses.

Simon O'Donnell and Carol Worthington, of Exchange Street, Accrington, have been left devastated by the death of their daughter Laura Joan in March.

The couple, who have been together for more than five years, had made plans for her arrival in May and were preparing a nursery at their home when she was born seven weeks early at Blackburn's Queen's Park Hospital.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley coroner Andre Rebello recorded a verdict of misadventure at an inquest into the death yesterday when he heard how Laura's spinal cord was damaged by forceps during the birth.

Doctors had opted to use the device after Laura's heartbeat slowed. Consultant paediatric pathologist Dr Melanie Newbold told the inquest that because of the baby's position it was quicker to use forceps than a caesarean section to get her out.

Giving evidence, Mr O'Donnell, 24, said his partner started having stomach pains on Sunday, March 21, and was taken to Queen's Park Hospital and detained overnight.

Mr O'Donnell, a process worker said: "I left at about 11pm because they were not expecting anything to happen but in the morning I got a telephone call saying she'd gone into labour." Laura was born at 11.30am that day but could not breath on her own. She spent five days in an incubator at the hospital before being transferred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool. The baby's ventilator was switched off on March 30 when she was eight days old.

Dr Newbold, who carried out a post mortem examination, said: "What I think happened is, because the baby's head was in the wrong position, when she was delivered with the forceps her spinal cord was injured and that was why she could not breath on her own."

Dr Newbold said the chance of forceps injuring a baby was "one in a million."

She said: "It happens extremely rarely and is very unusual to see. If people are offered forceps during birth they should be aware that this very rarely occurs. In fact it is a one in a million chance."

After the hearing, Mr O'Donnell said the couple were seeking legal advice over suing the NHS trust which runs the hospital.

"It's been absolutely devastating. Laura was our first child and we were looking forward to her birth.

"We never got to bring her home and so in a way she doesn't feel like our baby but we both got to hold her and I'm glad of that."

John Dell, director of operations for Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Hospitals Trust, said today: "Our sympathies go out to the family but given that they are seeking legal advice it would be improper to comment further."

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