Mum claims her newborn son given dangerous insulin injection

A mother has alleged her newborn son had to be flown to Brisbane to be stabilised after being given an unprescribed substance at a regional hospital.

A MOTHER has alleged her newborn son was given unprescribed insulin at Rockhampton Base Hospital.

According to a July 2019 email tabled under parliamentary privilege by the Opposition yesterday, the mother claims that after giving birth to her son in 2018, the baby became “floppy” and “barely responsive”.

Doctors tested his blood sugar, which returned a very low reading of 0.6 mmol/l.

Rockhampton Base Hospital, where a mother says her baby was given insulin.

The mother wrote in the email that doctors couldn’t stabilise the boy and he was flown to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

Three days later his levels started to stabilise, but the mother said an “amazing doctor” told her the boy’s blood results showed an “exogenous amount of insulin”.

“His blood insulin level was 10,370 and the highest they have ever seen was 200,” the email reads.

“(The doctor) explained to us ... the insulin in his body was not a natural produced insulin. It was a lab-created, long-acting insulin.”

The mother alleged she was questioned by detectives but was cleared of any wrongdoing. Police yesterday confirmed the matter was being investigated.

Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service chief executive Steve Williamson said it was inappropriate to provide comment.