A mother is seeking answers about the recent death of her newborn baby girl at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Twenty-six-year-old Stephanie Burnett told Stabroek News that after giving birth on March 4th, by Caesarean section, she was discharged the next day but her baby was required to stay for observation as it was feared that the child would contract an infection that she had.
The woman said her baby was placed on an antibiotic regimen the same day and was expected to be given 2 ml every 8 hours.
However, last Sunday morning at about 6.14 am, Burnett shared that a nurse administered 6 ml instead of the prescribed 2 ml.
Burnett said she questioned the nurse on why the increase in dosage and she was told that it was the new dosage her baby needed.
She explained that immediately after her baby was given the dosage, she started panting for breath and the right side of her body, including her arm, her neck and leg also began to turn blue.
The mother stated that she then called for the nurse who administered the medication, requesting that she check on her baby, but the nurse indicated that she was headed for the washroom and sent another nurse.
The woman said the other nurse who arrived at her bedside immediately asked about the baby’s colour.
Burnett said a doctor then came to check on the child and then immediately rushed her to a room, where they began pressing her stomach.
The mother related that she began crying and became afraid, knowing that something was wrong.
The mother explained that the baby was later rushed downstairs while she contacted her husband about what was happening.
She further shared that while standing on the stairs crying to her husband, the nurse who gave the baby the injection met her and told her she did not burp the baby well, which caused her to throw up.
She noted that the nurse had a smiling expression but the information offered some relief.
However, a short while after both she and her mother-in-law, who was present at the time, were informed by the doctor that her baby had died.
Meanwhile, Talfaa Sampson, the grandmother of the child, questioned if “milk killed the baby.”
The woman believed that if the child’s stomach was pumped, then she could have been revived if it was indeed what the doctors had related.
However, she later shared that the doctors then turned their attention to Burnett, asking her questions about her feeding the baby.
The family was informed that a post-mortem examination was expected to be carried out that would aid in determining the cause of death and ensuring that justice would be served.
She said when she saw her grandchild, her body was blue and her lips black.
Sampson, who noted that she is not a medical professional but has gained knowledge from working for several years at a hospital, expressed concern that the dosage of the antibiotic administered to the child may have been too high.
She also noted that the nurses are continuing to say the baby died because of “milk” while the family is yet to be informed of the post-mortem examination’s result.
Additionally, Burnett stated that she was not allowed to take pictures of the name of the medication given to her daughter.
When contacted, Chelauna Providence, the Communication Officer attached to Georgetown Public Hospital, stated that the results of the post-mortem examination are not yet available. However, following the results an investigation will begin.
