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1. Hospital said baby girl just has a virus before she died.
A baby girl, just 18-months-old was diagnosed with just having a virus in the days before her death by The Northern Hospital in Melbourne.
Angela and Matthew Ebbage were told their little girl, Audrey just had croup by the staff at the hospital.
Audrey was admitted to the Northern on December 11 2014, her parents said they just knew there was something else going on but staff dismissed their concerns.
Audrey’s mother, Angela told a coronial inquiry into the baby’s death that she and her husband “regularly raised concerns” with staff at the hospital on that day about Audrey’s lethargy, the initial lack of blood tests and an x-ray, and an alternate diagnosis.
But their view was she “had a virus only.”
Audrey’s condition deteriorated and she went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital on December 14 but she died.
“These concerns we expressed to The Northern Hospital doctors, we believe, were dismissed and we never felt heard, a fate we hope no other parent will have to endure,” Dr Ebbage said.
Northern Health made concessions to the Coroners Court yesterday about its failings. The hospital admitted Audrey’s blood pressure should have been recorded at least once, she should have been assessed by a consultant paediatrician, and a medical emergency team should have been put together given her heart and respiratory rates.
Top Comments
YAY rain - hopefully it's drought breaking :))
I have no issue with kids having access to contraception - if they're going to have sex, they need it (I also think 12 is too young, but it still stands - if they're having sex, we don't want them falling pregnant). BUT, the Pill has risks that I don't think a child has the capacity to fully understand. There are often unpleasant side effects, and long-term effects.
When a parent has responsibility for a child, they need to know the medications they are on. When a child is sick and goes to the doctor, they are asked what medications they are on- it impacts future prescriptions. If their parents don't know about the OCP, kids are likely to lie about it, and possibly be prescribed medications with negative interactions. While the majority of medical decisions are being made by parent's they need to be given the full picture of a child's healthcare.
Hand out condoms and spermicide by all means - even on the Pill they should be using a barrier method, after all, none of these 12 year olds are having sex in the relative security of marriage or a long-term relationship.
I have observed some parents reluctance to discuss even simple health issues such as menstration with their 12 year olds due to cultural or family values. These values can sometimes put children and teenagers at risk. Especially if they are sexually active. They are the same parents who would refuse their child the pill, should they find out about them taking it. For them, I can see this would be a practical alternative to pregnancy and STD's. I am the mother of an almost 12 year old girl and I take my responsiblilty very seriously in regards to giving her the information and support she needs to make informed decisions about her health. Not all parents see it this way and those who fall into this grey area would benefit from in school medical support, like the pill.
I just hope they've done enough research on messing with the hormones of children who may not have hit puberty yet.
Yes, I agree and I still have that uncomforatable feeling when talking about a 12 year old and contraception. My girl seems so little so its quite confronting really. I would hope a doctor attending to a 12 year old would be mindful of what their bodies needs and what advice they need as they mature.