Hugo McGregor lived for only five days before his parents made the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support.
Hugo was born on March 11, 2023, and died five days later when parents Jenna and Andre made the painful decision to turn off life support.
McGregor was given Syntocinon, a medication to increase the speed of labour, and the baby’s heart rate plummeted.
As the fetal alarm rang, doctors attempted to slow down the contractions with Terbutaline before concluding that Hugo needed to be delivered via emergency caesarean section.
More problems were encountered during the procedure, the court was told.
At birth, Hugo had no heartbeat, and when suction was needed to clear his airway to initiate breathing, the equipment malfunctioned, prompting the staff to perform CPR to revive the newborn.
Despite the efforts of the medical staff, Hugo was unable to survive when life support was turned off.
Hugo’s passing came on the heels of a critical report on Mackay Hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology services in 2022, which unveiled severe shortcomings that resulted in the deaths of three infants.
The report called for systematic change, issuing 122 recommendations that included improving communication, culture and empathy towards patients.
The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher is scheduled to run until Friday.
The Red Nose Grief and Loss Support Line is accessible 24/7 to offer support to those impacted by the loss of a pregnancy, stillbirth, or the death of a baby or child, via 1300 308 307.
