A baby died after his skull was fractured in a botched forceps delivery.
Thomas Beaty died just 26 hours after he was born due to “catastrophic head injuries” sustained during his birth in April last year.
Doctors at Manchester’s Royal Oldham Hospital tried five times to deliver Thomas using forceps but failed, forcing his mother to have an emergency caesarean section.
Shortly after his birth, Thomas began bleeding from his nose and mouth and he was taken to intensive care, where he later died.
Hannah and Martin Beaty on Manchester Evening News.
An inquest found the hospital failed to follow guidelines which state forceps must be abandoned after three failed attempts. The guidelines have now been changed to recommend forceps are attempted just once.
Thomas’ parents Hannah and Martin Beaty have called for a ban on all instrumental deliveries.
“I don’t think forceps should be used at all, not if there’s even the slightest risk that another baby could suffer like our son,” Hannah told Manchester Evening News.
“Nobody should have to come home without their baby. You’ve got your car seat in the car. You’ve got your baby bag ready. And the baby’s not there.
“Every day of your life you are living with a broken heart. That will never change, whether it’s one year or 50 years.”
