Update:
A coronial inquest has heard that home birth advocate Lisa Barrett was due to be questioned about her role in the deaths of three babies who died during home births in South Australia when she flew to Perth to assist in the birth of twins in July 2011.
One of the twin boys died.
In an inquest into the deaths of three homebirth babies that opened in WA yesterday the counsel assisting WA Coroner Sarah Linton, said that Lisa Barrett assisted in the birth of one of the babies known as Baby P.
Baby P’s death was at first considered a stillbirth and so was not referred to the coroner.
However a doctor has said that if he had been born in hospital his heart may have responded more rapidly, and he may have survived.
Lisa Barrett will give evidence to the inquest today via video link about her role in Baby P’s birth.
The Australian reports that the women who hired Barrett knew she was not a registered midwife but believed her to be fully qualified.
Previously, Mamamia wrote…
A major police task force investigation in South Australia into the deaths of five newborn babies linked to home birth midwife Lisa Barrett is underway.
According to The Advertiser, two of the babies’ deaths have been declared major crimes, with detectives considering manslaughter charges.
A Coronial Inquest examined the death of three babies in home births attended by Lisa Barrett: Tate Spencer-Koch in July 2007, Jahli Hobbs in April 2009 and of Tully Kavanagh in October 2011.
The death of an unidentified baby in Perth in July 2011, during a home birth attended by Ms Barrett was also scrutinised during the inquest, Adelaide Now reports.
The new task force has uncovered evidence that several of the witnesses who testified were allegedly involved in committing perjury, concealing evidence and withholding evidence from the inquest, reports.
The police task force investigation is now also reportedly examining a fifth home birth death involving a baby boy, who has not been named, in December 2012. South Australian police released a statement last night saying the death of this baby and that of Tully Kavanagh have been declared major crimes.
When approached by the Sunday Mail last week, Major Crime officer-in-charge Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the task force’s “investigations into the deaths is progressing well.’’ He declined to elaborate on any detail surrounding the deaths or the other offences being investigated, Adelaide Now reports.
Barrett, who moved to Australia with her family in 2002 from the UK, writes on her website “Homebirth: A Midwife Mutiny”: “I am experienced in all types of birth and this includes birthing at home with babies in a breech position, twins and birth after caesarean.Anyone who believes they want and need this service should be entitled to get it.”
Mamamia has written in detail about Lisa Barrett’s involvement in the deaths of four babies, plus a 2012 coroner’s finding that all four of those deaths “could and should have been prevented’. You can read that post here.
Anyone with information about breaches of the prohibition order, unlawful conduct relating to the investigation or other births are urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
Top Comments
I have never understood why anyone would ever actually choose to cast aside the best medical expertise when delivering their baby. I know! Labour / birth is natural, it's not an illness. Death is also natural, let's not forget that, and until the terribly un-PC ''medicalisation'' of birth happened, death in childbirth was tragically and terrifyingly common. Your birth may be super easy, you may be done and dusted in half an hour. Or not. You never know. You can have had 3 super-easy deliveries and then have a stroke during the 4th one. Why, oh why would anyone believe themselves immune to the possibilities and not be somewhere that the qualified doctors are, along with the range of equipment that may sometimes be needed? Of course midwives are highly qualified and this is not meant to knock them in any way. They do incredible work, in my view, quite badly underpaid. But when it goes wrong, the OB's are there. Surely you want to minimise any possible risk?
It comes down to personal choice of course, but there's something so despicable about, having happily and blithely gone along with the ''don't let the nasty doctors near your magical and mystical birthing experience'' route, then trying to cover up the tragic consequences of your choices and actions. These people, all of them, have been complicit in the deaths of innocent babies. They must be devastated, OF COURSE, but hiding it and refusing to take responsibility leads others to think that it's super-cool and safe to have a VBAC with twins who are breech. Jail them. All of them.
When the "medicalisation" of birth first happened the mortality rate for babies and women skyrocketed (because of poor hygiene in hospitals leading to "childbed fever"). I know it's not relevant to the debate today but it does irk me when people distort history to support their argument.
I am afraid your comment makes no sense. Women did not start giving birth in hospitals until the 20th Century. By then, good hygiene and sanitation practises in hospitals had been well and truly implemented. Childbed fever was the scourge of the Middle Ages due to dirty, untrained midwives, lack of antiseptics, inability to intervene in obstetric emergencies. Most women gave birth with great trepidation due to the high mortality rates. The 'medicalization' of child birth may be unpalatable to some, but to many women it has saved the lives of both themselves and their babies.
I think you should perhaps google Dr Semelweiss - it may give you a different historical perspective.
Yes okay, fair enough, but I meant - and I do think many would have interpreted it this way - modern medical practice!
Either way, those deaths you refer to were due to ignorance, not due to a wilfully selfish set of fashionable choices and thus seems criminal, particularly on the part of the midwife, but also on the part of the person who agrees to it.
So glad that this is being investigated. I delivered my breech son in hospital by Caesarian and thank my lucky stars for it, i have a healthy boy and I recovered without an issue. My sister delivered her baby in hospital after a low risk pregnancy, and had post partum bleeding that resulted in three blood transfusions. Without an obstetrician able to deal with the bleeding immediately via surgery, she would have died. Women are taking a big risk choosing a home birth, especially with quacks like this woman looking after them.