Autopsy confirms Debe baby was stillborn

An autopsy on the body of a baby who died at birth has has confirmed the child was stillborn.

The baby’s mother Nadia Dhanoolal said the autopsy was done at San Fernando General Hospital mortuary on Thursday.

She said the pathologist found the baby died because of a lack of oxygen during labour.

“A burden has been lifted off my shoulders,” Dhanoolal, 25, told the Newsday on Thursday.

She and her husband Radhaysham Ramgoolam, 28, who helped with the home delivery, were under investigation after a doctor at the hospital’s accident and emergency department reported to police that the baby was brought to the hospital with a fractured skull and bruising.

Although grieving for their loss child, the parents – who have two other children –were questioned by the police about the circumstances under which the child died during delivery at their Lal Beharry Trace, Debe home on Monday morning.

Dhanoolal said she explained she went into labour around 2 am on Monday and, with the guidance of an emergency medical technician (EMT) on the phone, her husband helped with the delivery. She said the EMT instructed him to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

When an ambulance arrived, EMTs also did CPR on the newborn while on their way to the hospital, and this may have caused bruising,

“Now that the autopsy has been done and they realise that the baby did not die the way they suspected, the hospital has arranged for me to have bereavement counselling,” Dhanoolal said.

“I am trying hard to get over it, but everything keeps reminding me of my loss. I carried that baby for nine months.”

She said she had rearranged their home to accommodate the new addition to the family, “but I just put back everything the way it was before.

“All of the baby’s stuff I pack in a bag and put it under a bed to forget.”

She said what is heartbreaking is the fact that although she does not have a baby, she still has to register the birth and death so they could have a funeral.

No arrangements have been finalised for the funeral, but she said it would be very private.

“Only his dad and I will be attending. Not even my other children. We don’t want to put them through that.”