Inquest Hears Conflicting Testimonies on Newborn's Death at Emerald Hospital

A coronial inquest into the death of newborn Alby Spreadborough at Emerald Hospital has heard from medical experts, with conflicting testimonies on whether the baby was stillborn or took small breaths after being delivered via emergency caesarean section in February 2023.

Rural generalist Tristan Howie told the inquest that he saw Alby take two small breaths during resuscitation attempts. "It was the one and only sign of life that we saw," he said. "There was one effort at a breath … it was small."

Specialist neonatologist Melissa Luig, who was not involved in the case, testified that the breaths were likely signs of life and that she believed Alby died from a lack of oxygen. "I think there probably was a very slow heartbeat when Alby was born or soon after," Dr Luig said. "It may not have been strong enough to be palpated [felt by hand]."

However, specialist obstetrician Greg Duncombe, who was also not involved in the case, said he believed there were no signs of life. Midwife Jess Nabe corroborated this, stating she did not see any breathing, heartbeat or pulse.

The inquest also investigated issues around medical charts in the lead-up to Alby's delivery and whether a caesarean should have been performed earlier. Specialist obstetrician Rachael Nugent said doctors had been "falsely reassured" by scans, which she believed were inaccurate, and that consistent signs of hypoxia were not recognised.

Alby's parents, Rebecca and Tim Spreadborough, attended the inquest and expressed their need to understand the circumstances surrounding their son's death. In a statement to the coroner, they said not understanding why Alby died had made their grief hard to process.

Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher will consider the evidence before publishing findings and recommendations.