Coroner backs tragic Alta's parents in row over emergency op

INQUEST REJECTS CLAIM THAT 4 MINUTES TO AGREE TO SURGERY CONTRIBUTED TO BRAIN INJURY

- CHRIS SLATER

GRIEVING parents have been vindicated by a coroner who has criticised a doctor's claim that the four minutes they to took to agree to an emergency casearean section contributed to a devastating brain injury the baby suffered.

It comes as the coroner said a subsequent legal battle between the family of Alta Fixsler and the hospital trust over the withdrawal of her treatment, which made international headlines, "does not take away from the care and love she received from both parties throughout." On December 23, 2018, just 34 weeks into her pregnancy, Alta's mother Chaya Fixsler suffered a bleed. She was rushed to St Mary's Hospital where an ultrasound showed "fetal distress." Doctors said an emergency c-section was required and, due to Mrs Fixsler's medical history, it needed to be done under general anesthetic.

Mrs Fixsler was eventually found to have suffered a placental abruption which resulted in hypoxia, a medical term for a lack of oxygen, which led to Alta's brain injury.

The inquest heard the medical notes referred to Mr and Mrs Fixsler "refusing and initially declining" to proceed with a c-section under general anesthetic. This was repeated in evidence by Mrs Fixsler's consultant, Dr Sarah Vause.

Alta's parents Chaya and Abraham Fixsler refuted this, saying in their evidence that they did not refuse or decline, but that they "made enquiries about the procedure and whether it had to proceed under general anesthesia." The hearing was told they telephoned a friend, who was also a midwife and agreed to the proce dure, which was recommended at 10:37am, four minutes later at 10:41am.