Homebirth death of Caroline Lovell: Coroner recommends charges against midwife Gaye Demanuele
UPDATE: A CORONER has recommended criminal action be considered against a midwife whose gross failures contributed to a mother’s death following a botched home birth.
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A CORONER has recommended criminal action be considered against a midwife after finding her gross failures contributed to a mother’s death following a botched home birth.
Coroner Peter White said while Gaye Demanuele had taken steps to deregister herself, she kept practising as a midwife after the tragic and preventable death of Caroline Lovell.
Mrs Lovell, 36, died at the Austin Hospital in the early hours of January 24, 2012, after sustaining massive blood loss following the birth of her daughter.
Mr White said Mrs Lovell begged multiple times for an ambulance to be called to the couple’s Watsonia home, claiming that she was dying.
But Ms Demanuele, who was aided by the less experienced Melody Bourne, didn’t respond to Mrs Lovell’s cries for help.
“I find that Caroline literally begged for ambulance to be called,” Mr White said.
Mr White said Ms Demanuele failed to assess Mrs Lovell’s medical history, failed to create a safe environment for the delivery and neglected to properly gauge her blood pressure after the delivery.
“I find that this death was preventable. I find that the various acts and omissions described above caused, or substantially contributed to the death of Caroline Lovell.
He said Mrs Lovell was left in the birthing pool for more than an hour after delivery, during which time she fell unconscious and had to be lifted out.
Mr White called for the Department of Health and Human Services to publicly educate expected couples on the risks assocaited with home births, and to consider making it an offence for an unregistered midwife to attend a place of birth.
He recommended the Director of Public Prosecutions look into appropriate action against Ms Demanuele.
Outside court Mrs Lovell’s mother, Jade Markiewicz, urged public prosecutors to pursue Ms Demanuele.
“Had the midwives called the ambulance immediately when the problems started, my daughter would still be alive. They refused to call an ambulance because of their radical and dangerous beliefs: that women don’t need ambulances, that women don’t need hospitals in childbirth and, because of this belief, my daughter is dead,” Ms Markiewicz said.
The grieving mother described Ms Demanuele as a “danger to pregnant women” who “needs to be held accountable for her cruel and reckless conduct.”
Her lawyer, Michael Magazanik, said his client was pursuing legal action, and the role of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in allowing Ms Demanuele to practice needed to be examined.
“We are aware of another home birth, in mid 2011, when a woman begged for Ms Demanuele to call an ambulance. Demanuele refused. The baby died.
“This raises questions about the regulator’s management of the registration of midwives, and its failure to act after the first incident,” he said.