Baby Cleo Gray was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck on February 21 at the John Radcliffe Hospital Women's Centre. Cleo was delivered by her dad Matt, a former ambulance technician, after a 'panicked' midwife left the room. Matt managed to unwrap the cord from Cleo's neck after the high-risk delivery.
Staff returned to the room to find Matt's wife Jo cradling the baby. Jo said: 'It is terrifying. ' Cleo is the couple's fourth child and the labour was expected to progress quickly.
The birth was deemed high-risk, as Jo has several medical conditions. Jo went to the John Radcliffe Hospital Women's Centre after going into labour two weeks early. The Oxford University Hospitals Trust (OUH), which runs the hospital, apologised to the family.
Jo said she initially had a lovely midwife, but a replacement came to attend to the birth as the first midwife was needed elsewhere. ' She said the new midwife seemed less experienced and was not communicative or reassuring. ' Jo said the midwife kept moving her and that the baby's heart rate kept changing but it was after every contraction, which is considered normal.
' Jo said the midwife told her that the baby's heart rate was dropping and it was getting dangerous. Jo said she was going into a panic attack because she had a traumatic birth before in which she nearly lost her son. Jo said: 'But before we knew it, she'd left the room.
' Matt ran out to fetch the midwife, who returned, but who left again shortly after. The couple claim the midwife was gone for 10 to 15 minutes. Matt said: 'After she ran out a second time, I realised we were going to have to deliver the baby ourselves.
' Matt said: 'Once she was out, I saw the cord was actually around her neck. ' Matt said: 'I cleaned her and dried her and gave her to Jo. ' The couple say they could not reach the call button behind Jo's bed to get help.
The reason for the midwife leaving the room twice has not been explained by the hospital. What actions the trust has taken in response to this incident, beyond apologizing, are not yet known. The identity and experience level of the midwife involved, and whether she has faced any disciplinary action, have not been disclosed.