An inquest has revealed the tragic circumstances of Baby Wren Marion Preo’s passing. She tragically died soon after birth in a North Queensland hospital. Baby Wren was born at 8:30 PM on May 31, 2024, but sadly passed away only eight hours later, on June 1, 2024. PIH’s investigative report investigates the issue of her medical condition and the healthcare providers who guided through the delivery.
Baby Wren’s family was put in the position of making a heartrending choice. When it became clear that she would not survive, they decided to remove her life support. The autopsy ruled her death a hypoxic death, due to hypoxia from meconium aspiration and prolonged labor. This heartbreaking account highlights the dangers of labor and delivery in general—as with any medical emergency, complications can lead to unfortunate circumstances.
Medical Complications During Delivery
Baby Wren’s delivery was complicated by significant meconium presence, which is a thick substance released during a baby’s first bowel movement. Only a minute prior to her birth, the amniotic membrane ruptured, creating concern for possible complications. Meconium aspiration occurs when a fetus inhales a combination of meconium and amniotic fluid into the airways. This can lead to life-threatening breathing complications.
Meconium can cause serious harm to a newborn’s health, according to Professor Edward Weaver, who testified at the inquest. He stated, “Meconium can irritate the baby’s lungs now, depending on how much meconium gets down there.” He illustrated that welcoming and accepting care for this condition needs to be supportive. This allows the baby’s innate immune system to begin working to digest the meconium.
The circumstances surrounding Baby Wren’s birth were particularly concerning due to her mother’s Group B Streptococcus (GBS) positive status. Risks Professor Weaver stressed that the risk of GBS infection being transmitted to Baby Wren was minimal. He noted that mothers with a GBS positive test ideally should get at least one antibiotic drip (preferably two) administered about one to two hours before delivery.
Resuscitation Efforts and Medical Protocols
Baby Wren passed from mom to Registered Nurse Emma Peters in less than 20 seconds after birth. Emma immediately started resuscitation efforts to save the newborn’s life. Still, for all of these efforts, Baby Wren went on to develop worsening respiratory distress. RN Peters described Baby Wren’s condition immediately after birth: “Wren looked very pale, she was very floppy, she didn’t have any adequate respiratory effort.”
Midwife Kirsty Coker observed that Baby Wren appeared to make an effort to breathe, stating, “It looked like an attempt to take a breath.” Even given the immediate medical intervention and following guidelines and protocol, Baby Wren’s condition had gotten worse.
Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher conducted a thorough and considered investigation into the compelling evidence that was heard during the inquest. She concluded that the treatment given to Hannah Preo did not cause or speed up Baby Wren’s death. She remarked, “There is no evidence before me that the resuscitation was anything other than textbook.” She equally recognized that she was open to hearing submissions as to the effect of the care Baby Wren received on her.
The Nature of Childbirth Risks
The inquest also illustrated the irremediable dangers involved in giving birth. As medical professionals, we want to provide our best practice standards, but even if we could execute all aspects of care perfectly, sometimes outcomes are not possible. He stated, “Even doing all of that, as this case demonstrates, you don’t always have a successful outcome.” He added, “Much as I might wish otherwise, and I’m sure we all do, it’s one of the risks of having a baby.”
These inquest findings draw attention to the burdens placed on all healthcare professionals working in stressful situations with high stakes. They point to the unpredictability inherent in childbirth. We look forward to the coroner’s final judgement being delivered in the coming days, shedding more light on this tragic incident.
