Mommahed Hameed and his wife Rawan, from Newton Mearns, watched their daughter Leyan pass away just eight days after she was born on February 12.
A first-time dad claims negligence at Glasgow’s biggest hospital resulted in the death of his baby girl.
Mommahed Hameed and his wife Rawan, from Newton Mearns, watched their daughter Leyan pass away just eight days after she was born on February 12 – despite a pregnancy with no concerns.
Mohammed, a pharmacist, believes “failings” around her care and delivery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital maternity unit in Glasgow led to the tragedy.
He said: “My wife had a healthy, green pathway pregnancy. To look at, Leyan was perfect but as a result of what happened at point of delivery she is no longer with us. There is failings here which need to be addressed.”
Medics say the circumstances around the newborn’s death will be the subject of a serious case review.
Mum Rawan started to experience contraction pain on February 11 at around 10.30pm.
The couple called the maternity unit at around 6am the following morning but claim they were told it was “too early” after they informed staff that it was Rawan’s first pregnancy.
Mohammed decided to make their way to the hospital after his wife’s contractions became more frequent.
Upon arrival, the first-time mum collapsed and was lifted onto a wheelchair, distressed and in a lot of pain.
Mohammed told Glasgow Live: “I could tell Rawan was further along than they thought. When we arrived she collapsed, a member of the public helped me lift her onto a wheelchair and I wheeled her into the maternity ward. As soon as we walked in there was no ‘hi’ or ‘how are you’, it was just ‘are we expecting you?’
“At that point we said we had called and were told not to come in but that matters had progressed.”
Rawan was asked to take a urine sample and discovered blood on her trousers but claims she was told the amount was “normal”.
Mohammed said: “I was surprised at that, but again I trusted them. You put your faith in them given that that’s what they do – they know better than you do.”
The couple were then taken for a scan, but the equipment was “not working” and a doctor was called.
They say they were not aware of an examination to check how far Rawan wad dilated. As soon as the registrar doctor arrived, they straight away said ‘we need to operate right now’.
Mohammed said: “At that point it was panic stations – I was then stopped at the doors from going through with Rawan. I explained that it was important I be with her and that she needed me but I was point-blank refused.
“15 minutes later they came to get me and when I walked through it was like a scene from Casualty; there was blood on the floor.”
Mohammed then noticed his newborn daughter Leyan on an incubator bed where medics were performing CPR. He claims he wasn’t allowed near Leyan and was asked to take a seat next to his wife, who was clearly disorientated.
After being told an emergency C-section was necessary, a forceps delivery was performed but the couple claim this was done without their knowledge or consent. It was at this moment Rawan told Mohammed she had been told to “push”.
Mohammed continued: “We were both confused at this point, no one told us anything. There was so much commotion and Rawan was in a bit of a panic.”
Baby Leyan was then taken to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), but parents Mohammed and Rawan weren’t able to see her until late afternoon.
The couple were told that “something went wrong” during delivery and that their baby girl wasn’t well. Later that day they were informed that Leyan’s heart stopped for 12 minutes during labour, with a lack of oxygen to her brain causing severe damage.
The following day, on February 13, a consultant sat the couple down and told them that Leyan would have a “very bleak future”, saying she may never be able to walk or talk, and may be blind.
Baby Leyan was on a ventilator in NICU where she sadly passed away eight days later, on February 20.
Mohammed added: “They took the machines off and about an hour later she died in my arms.”
The grieving father says there is a “wider issue” at play over her death.
Baby Leyan’s death is now the subject of a Significant Adverse Event Review (SAER), with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) saying the family will be involved at all stages during this process.
The couple claim they have received no correspondence from NHSGGC so far.
Mohammed said: “I’m a healthcare professional, my team and I bend over backwards to help others and the one time we access NHS services it’s catastrophic. We feel let down, it’s a slap in the face and a hard pill to swallow.”
Dr Claire Harrow, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Deputy Medical Director for Acute Services, said: “We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of baby Leyan Hameed at this extremely difficult time.
“Leyan’s death is currently the subject of a Significant Adverse Event Review following unforeseen complications at birth. Leyan’s family will be fully involved at all stages in this.
“Through our neonatal team, we continue to have close contact with Leyan’s family and are doing all we can to support them. We have offered support through our local perinatal psychology service and have signposted further support available through charitable organisations providing specialised counselling in child bereavement on our behalf.
“We will also be inviting Leyan’s family shortly to meet again with our neonatal team, to offer them an opportunity to ask any questions they may have while our investigations continue.”
Leyan’s parents spoke out over her death just days after it was reported that another baby, eight-week old Zohan Mansoor, was given an overdoes of paracetamol at the same hospital earlier this month.
First-time parents Ahad Ul Hassan and Hira Mansoor, from Ayr, have been left “praying for a miracle” as the tiny baby remains in intensive care following the incident.
And on Friday, another mum set out plans to take legal action after her two-year-old son was given the wrong dose of morphine following heart surgery at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, also on the Queen Elizabeth hospital campus.