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Couple's wait over newborn mix-up
news.bbc.co.uk ^ | 12/28/05

Posted on 12/30/2005 4:24:19 PM PST by Ellesu

A couple were forced to endure a five-week wait for DNA results to find out if a newborn baby was theirs. A midwife at Furness General Hospital told Sarah Wilson and Martyn Cahill, from Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, their new 6lb 12oz baby was a boy.

The couple named the child Ryan William, but later discovered they had a girl when giving her a bath, and feared they had the wrong baby.

Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust has apologised for the mistake.

The couple told friends and relatives they had a boy.

We are in the process of ascertaining how this happened to prevent a recurrence Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust

Miss Wilson said: "Lots of people had already bought boy's cards and blue clothes and they had to take them back and buy new ones.

"When she was born they said 'Congratulations, you've got a lovely baby boy' and the midwife had her in a towel straightaway so we didn't see her.

"The next day we gave her a bath and obviously we could tell straight away that she was a little girl."

Miss Wilson, 24, and Mr Cahill, 23, waited five weeks for DNA results to make sure the renamed Keira was theirs.

A spokeswoman for Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust said: "A mistake was clearly made, for which we are sorry.

"We are in the process of ascertaining how this happened to prevent a recurrence."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: female; male; newborn
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1 posted on 12/30/2005 4:24:20 PM PST by Ellesu
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To: Ellesu

I think in the delivery room just after the baby is born, the parents ought to be able to put some kind of indellible mark on their baby that stays on until they take him/her home. This is ridiculous to put these parents through this nonsense.


2 posted on 12/30/2005 4:30:03 PM PST by cubreporter (I trust Rush. He has done more for this country than anyone will ever know. He's A++)
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To: cubreporter

When my two sons were born, they were each given bracelets right there. I watched. And I got to see the first born, with all his equipment, before they took him to the nursery. The second one never left my side.


3 posted on 12/30/2005 4:32:07 PM PST by Mercat (It's still Christmas)
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To: Ellesu

Somebody better go back to Med School.


4 posted on 12/30/2005 4:32:17 PM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: cubreporter


I thought in this day of babies being stolen out of the nursery that each child was equipped with a name tag and some sort of security tag, why didn't this baby have a name tag put on the minute he or she was cleaned up before leaving the delivery room?


5 posted on 12/30/2005 4:33:32 PM PST by rockabyebaby (I'm not afraid to say out loud what the rest of you are afraid to admit.)
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To: Ellesu
...but later discovered they had a girl when giving her a bath.

When my hubby and I had our babies, we noticed things like that when the kids were born.
6 posted on 12/30/2005 4:34:11 PM PST by MaryFromMichigan
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To: cubreporter

Ear Tags. Like the cow's have.


7 posted on 12/30/2005 4:46:52 PM PST by Westlander (Unleash the Neutron Bomb)
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To: rockabyebaby

My question too. I don't like the name tag thing. I prefer an indellible stamp of somekind that the parents can take off once they are home. In todays world this is assinine to have happen. Just assinine and irresponsible on staff part.


8 posted on 12/30/2005 4:47:43 PM PST by cubreporter (I trust Rush. He has done more for this country than anyone will ever know. He's A++)
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To: Mercat

Same with our grandson. Son was in room with his wife and taking video. Mother and baby together the whole time and son has video of their newborn. No chance to mix them up. Like you...they knew thiers was a boy immediately. It's backed up on the video. :)


9 posted on 12/30/2005 4:49:36 PM PST by cubreporter (I trust Rush. He has done more for this country than anyone will ever know. He's A++)
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To: Westlander

LOL - the thing is, they practically do that now. Security and labeling is strict around birthing rooms. But yet... we have this story.


10 posted on 12/30/2005 4:49:45 PM PST by HairOfTheDog (Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/ 1,000 knives and counting!)
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To: cubreporter
"But, at least we know he's ours!" [ \liberal parents ]


11 posted on 12/30/2005 4:51:52 PM PST by jdm (QOY "I'd hit it. Then I'd turn it over, praise Allah, and hit it again." Lazamataz on Osama's niece.)
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To: jdm

Oh yipes...not those kinds of marks.


12 posted on 12/30/2005 4:52:56 PM PST by cubreporter (I trust Rush. He has done more for this country than anyone will ever know. He's A++)
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To: cubreporter

btt


13 posted on 12/30/2005 4:52:56 PM PST by WVNan
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To: Westlander

Oh yipes....I don't think so. :)


14 posted on 12/30/2005 4:53:24 PM PST by cubreporter (I trust Rush. He has done more for this country than anyone will ever know. He's A++)
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To: Ellesu

So the nurse miscounted the penis by 1. Is that a federal offense or something? I mean, math can be so confusing.


15 posted on 12/30/2005 4:55:41 PM PST by gitmo (From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.)
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To: Ellesu
For personal reasons, I had a team in place to maintain visual contact on my baby, at all times, while in the Hospital.
Mistakes happen in crowded and understaffed hospitals.
Even without a cynical suspicion of marginally qualified "caregivers", when people are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for healthy infants.
I hope I am never in a position where I, or a loved one, spends a single moment alone in a hospital without direct supervision.
16 posted on 12/30/2005 4:56:08 PM PST by sarasmom
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To: MaryFromMichigan

Seeing our children's new faces, even if it was just for a few minutes, is something that most of us will never forget, ever. Let alone a few hours later. Unbelievable.


17 posted on 12/30/2005 4:57:37 PM PST by lizma
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To: Ellesu

Wow, With a baby due in July Im going to keep an eagle eye on our newborn.


18 posted on 12/30/2005 4:59:03 PM PST by No Blue States
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To: cubreporter

With each one of our four kids, I saw them put a little bracelet on their arms that were pre-printed with the same 'code' as mine. When we left the hospital each time, the bracelets were checked to make sure we had the right baby!


19 posted on 12/30/2005 5:09:40 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: cubreporter

Dare I mention that this appears to have occurred in Britain, one of the places where the government provides medical care?


20 posted on 12/30/2005 5:29:30 PM PST by trimom
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