Thai couple seeks answers after newborn dies in Rayong hospital

A Thai couple is demanding an explanation from a hospital in the eastern province of Rayong following the death of their newborn child. They believe that mistakes during the delivery led to the baby’s death.

The couple brought the coffin containing their child’s lifeless body to the Ministry of Public Health yesterday, October 7, to seek answers regarding the cause of death. They stated that the hospital did not provide them with any details and only apologised for their loss.

The couple decided to bring the issue to non-profit organisation Saimai Survive and its founder, Ekkaphop Lueangprasert, accompanied them to the ministry office yesterday.

During an interview with the media outside the office, the woman explained that she went to the hospital because she was experiencing pain and tightness in her stomach. She was admitted to the hospital, where the doctor performed a non-stress test to check on her child’s health.

The medical team informed her the next day that they would perform a cesarean section ahead of schedule but did not provide her with a reason. The normal labour is scheduled for 40 weeks, while the C-section is at 38 weeks but she was only 36 weeks at that time.

The woman said she asked the doctor to postpone the delivery, as she felt that her child was healthy and was still kicking her belly as usual. However, the doctor insisted on the C-section.

According to the mother, her newborn child seemed healthy, except for bruises and wounds near his eyebrow and cheek caused by the medical tools. Unfortunately, the baby died later without any signs or warnings from the medical team.

Bleeding in brain

The nurse asked her to sign a document stating that her child died of heart failure. She was not convinced by this cause and refused to sign the document. She and her husband continued to seek an explanation from the hospital but received no feedback.

According to a report in DailyNews, the woman could no longer have children because she underwent two previous C-sections. Her uterine wall became thinner, making her unable to carry a baby.

The couple transferred their child’s lifeless body for an autopsy at the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Police General Hospital in Bangkok. The autopsy revealed that the baby boy’s brain bled. The couple is sure that the bleeding resulted from improper delivery.

The obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Ministry of Public Health, Jutasinee Sammanan, told the media that premature delivery at 36 weeks is dangerous and poses fatal risks, including fragile and easily ruptured blood vessels and an incomplete bowel system.

The Advisor to the Public Health Minister, Thanakrit Jit-aree, plans to submit the complaint to the Medical Council of Thailand and the Department of Medical Services to conduct further investigations into the case.