Staff error at hospital saved baby’s life

January 8, 2010 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

Parents Emma and Gregg with baby Alfie Buckle

A staff error at a Southampton hospital that led to an extra pregnancy scan actually saved the life of a 26-week old baby.

Emma and Gregg Buckle, of New Milton, Hampshire, say that it was “pure fate” that saved the life of their baby, Alfie.

Six weeks after her routine 20-week scan, Emma Buckle received notification from Princess Anne Neonatal Unit in Southampton that she needed to come in for another scan. Typically, the 20-week scan is the last routine scan needed.

She considered alerting the hospital staff of their mistake, but instead she went through with the scan. “Part of me just wanted to see the baby on a scan again so we went back to the hospital,” she told the Daily Mail.

In mid-September, during the 26-week scan, a sonographer noticed that something wasn’t right about the baby, and the couple was referred to a doctor at the hospital for closer examination. The doctor told them that an irregularity in the placenta had constricted the flow of nutrients to the baby and that Emma would have to be admitted to the hospital.

“I had 14 weeks to go and thought I’d have to be in for all that time, but I was told the baby would probably be here by the weekend,” said Emma Buckle. “At that point I panicked — I wasn’t ready and hadn’t gone to any antenatal classes. I didn’t know what to do.”

After three days at the hospital, Emma began bleeding due to complications in the pregnancy, and doctors were forced to perform an emergency cesarean section. Baby Alfie only weighed 1 pound, 5 ounces and could fit in the palm of a hand. Afterwards, he was rushed to the neonatal unit’s intensive care.

“He looked so tiny — like a little chick,” said Emma Buckle. “He was my baby and I couldn’t be with him. It was horrible thinking he needed help and I couldn’t provide it.”

After two days, Emma was allowed to leave the hospital, but it was three months before Alfie could go home. Now Alfie weighs in at a healthy 5 pounds, 13 ounces and doing well.

“I have often thought it was the strangest mistake, pure fate that changed everything for us,” she said.

“Things could have been so different; we may have walked out of hospital without our son. Somebody was obviously looking down on us that day.”