A HOSPITAL consultant has told an inquiry how a baby showed no signs of life after being born in an emergency.
Gillian Irvine was running the maternity unit at Crosshouse Hospital in Ayrshire, where Jennifer Kennedy was at the final stages of pregnancy.
Dr Irvine decided a caesarian section should be carried out immediately after monitors failed to pick up the baby's heartbeat.
She said: "There was a lot of noise in the room. I went outside and asked the staff to scrub up in theatre for an emergency caesarian.
Dr Irvine went back into the room which was still noisy but an ultrasound monitor had been brought in. She said the situation was category 1, or an "immediate threat to life for mother and baby".
She added: "There was a temporary lull in the noise and I said we were going to go to a category 1 caesarian section now."
Dr Irvine carried out an internal examination and "checked to see if the baby's head was there but it wasn't. I scrubbed for theatre and went to the table.
"Dr Pandravada stepped aside and I saw she'd opened the abdominal wall and the baby was lying there. I lifted him out and handed him to the paediatricians.
"I noticed no signs of life. He was limp and I couldn't feel any heartbeat as I passed him over." She then concentrated on Ms Kennedy, who had a ruptured uterus.
Dr Irvine was giving evidence at a fatal accident inquiry into the death of Elijah Stirling, who died at his home in Kilmarnock six months after his birth in December 2010. NHS Ayrshire and Arran have already accepted failings.
Dr Annapurna Pandravada told the inquiry at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court a midwife had earlier told her Ms Kennedy may have been near delivery.
She said: "From what I've written, she wasn't very relaxed. Perhaps she was in pain."
The inquiry at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court also heard Ms Kennedy was never given any choice over Elijah's birth.
Marion Dodd, a registered midwife, said she was "almost certain" she went over options when discussing a birth plan with Ms Kennedy.
The inquiry continues.
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