Obstetrics / Birth injury to the fetus

Fetal anomaly

Failure to diagnose hydrocephalus during pregnancy

Success story

Andrea was delivered by Caesarean section because of failure to progress in labour and her head circumference was on the 94th centile. Severe hydrocephalus due to aqueduct stenosis was diagnosed at 6 weeks of age. It was alleged that there had been a negligent failure to detect the condition at the 20 week anomaly scan. PMS concluded that the size of the head was normal at 20 weeks and there was no evidence of this type of hydrocephalus, which can develop in the second half of a pregnancy. The obstetricians and ultrasonographers were exonerated.