Coroner's call after baby death (From Ludlow Advertiser)

Coroner's call after baby death

A coroner has called for pregnancy tests to be carried out on women before they are fitted with contraceptive coils following the death of a Ludlow baby.

John Ellery, coroner for mid and north Shropshire, will be writing to Shropshire Primary Care Trust about the issue after hearing the child's mother was faced with having the pregnancy terminated because of an infection.

He will ask health chiefs why pregnancy testing is not compulsory before contraceptive coils are fitted.

An inquest at Shrewsbury on Friday was told that Maria Jones, of Sidney Road, Ludlow, was fitted with a coil on August 4 this year but returned to the surgery a month later because she believed she was pregnant.

A few days later she was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital with abdominal pains to be told that the coil had ruptured membranes, causing a serious infection. At this time, she was 22 weeks into her pregnancy.

Because of the potential danger to her life, Mrs Jones and her partner, Jamie Houseman, of Old Street, Ludlow, agreed to the termination. Baby Jessica, born on September 8, died in less than an hour.

Ludlow GP Dr James Cullen told the inquest he fitted the coil. Mrs Jones was on reliable contraception and he had carried out an internal examination but not a pregnancy test.

Recording a verdict on the baby of death from extreme prematurity following the termination, the coroner said there were lessons to be learned from what had happened.

If a test had been carried out at the surgery, what he described as "this unfortunate case" would not have arisen.