Provincial health officials will look closer into the death of a newborn baby admitted to one of Cebu’s district hospitals
The baby was born prematurely at home before she was brought to the Bantayan District Hospital at 7 a.m. last May 31, based on preliminary data gathered by the Provincial Health Office.
Initial reports on radio said the mother complained that the baby was not attended to or kept in an incubator.
Dr. Cynthia Genosolango, PHO head, said the baby was delivered at home by the mother whose last name is Cabarles.
Based on the case history, “the baby fell in the CR,” and may have suffered injury in the brain, she told Cebu Daily News in a text message.
She said the baby was immediately administered with oxygen and IV fluids. The infant needed to be placed in an incubator but the hospital did not do this as part of protocol.
“It is standard operating procedure even in big hospitals not to allow outside deliveries and potentially infected cases in incubators,” Genosolango said.
To keep possible infection at bay, the baby was given antibiotics and kept warm with a droplight.
The newborn died 18 hours later.
“It’s a very morbid case,” said Genosolango.
Genosolango said they will look into the status of the mother and find out why she didn’t deliver the baby in a health center or hospital.