Tragedy at the hospital in Cetraro, a newborn dies: five “white carriage” investigated

There are five health professionals – three doctors and two operators – who ended up under the lens of the Paola prosecutor. Names registered in the register of suspects for the death of a newborn baby on Wednesday in the obstetrics and gynecology department of the “Gino Iannelli” hospital in Cetraro. The investigation, coordinated by the chief prosecutor Domenico Fiordalisi, aims to clarify the dynamics of the child’s death, which took place despite the presence of a large medical team at the time of childbirth. The mother, a 26 -year -old from Fiumefreddo Bruzio, followed in pregnancy by a private gynecologist, had already had two hospital access in the days preceding the birth. A week earlier, she had been visited and hospitalized right at the Cetraro hospital for irregular contractions, diagnosed as a “false labor”, and therefore discharged. A few days later, a similar episode had occurred at the “Annunziata” hospital in Cosenza, where the lady had gone for a new evaluation, following which the doctors had again opted for the discharge. On August 11, the woman returned to the Cetraro department, where she was then hospitalized. Wednesday, the doctors decided to induce birth, following the standard procedures. At the time of the labor there were two gynecologists, two midwives, two pediatricians and a resuscitator, but the newborn is not, unfortunately, survived. The carabinieri of the Compagnia di Paola, led by Captain Marco Pedullà, who immediately went to the Cetrarese garrison, acquired the medical records. The prosecutor’s consultants will have to check whether errors have been made in the risk assessment or assistance during labor, also in light of previous access to the hospital. Meanwhile, the autopsy has been arranged on the body of the newborn – which should be made on Monday – in order to provide decisive answers on the causes of death. The primary of the department, Dr. Bruno Tucci, ensured full collaboration with the judiciary, expressing “profound proximity to the family affected by mourning”. This sad story has inevitably rekindled the debate on security in the maternity wards of the territory, in particular in a hospital that already in the center of controversy in the past, following the death of the young mother Santina Adamo, in July 2019. Now the attention is paid to the developments of the investigations. According to some doctors present at childbirth, it emerged that the fetal heart rate was present until the moment of the child’s expulsion. What happened later is, therefore, all to be ascertained.