A coroner recorded a verdict of medical misadventure at Galway Coroner’s Court following the death of a newborn baby boy who sustained fatal injuries during a caesarean section at University Hospital Galway. Coroner Ciarán MacLoughlin described the inquest as one of the saddest he has ever dealt with.
Inquest Details and Medical Misadventure Verdict
Ódhran Dever was born on October 1, 2025, at 28 weeks gestation as the firstborn child of Andrea (née Barrett) and Terence Dever, a couple from Belmullet and Achill. He passed away two days later on October 3 in his mother’s arms. Ciara Davin BL, instructed by Treasa Norrby of Callan Tansey Solicitors LLP on behalf of the family, informed the court that the baby was in such poor condition following the delivery that a neonatologist asked his parents what had happened during the delivery. The infant sustained severe bruising across his hands, arms, leg, and back, preventing medical staff from inserting a peripheral line into his limbs.
Coroner Ciarán MacLoughlin formally returned a verdict of medical misadventure. Pathologist Dr Laura Aalto stated during the post-mortem examination that the baby had no dysmorphic features or congenital abnormalities, with normal measurements and organ weights for his gestational age. Dr Aalto concluded that the cause of death was an extensive internal haemorrhage—both intracranial and intraabdominal—accompanied by secondary hypoxic ischaemic injuries.
Surgical Complications and Delivery Evidence
The inquest heard that Andrea Dever had been admitted to the hospital as a high-risk patient after experiencing a bleed at 27 weeks, following an ultrasound at 21 weeks that showed her placenta was low-lying and posterior, which placed her at risk of bleeding. Following additional bleeds between September 25 and October 1, clinical staff decided to carry out a category two caesarean section.
Specialist registrar Dr Josil Selvi Jothi testified that she began the procedure with consultant obstetrician Dr Nada Warreth assisting. After the amniotic sac ruptured, the baby shifted from a head-first position to a transverse lie, complicating the delivery through the initial surgical incision. Both physicians attempted to deliver the infant by grasping a foot and pulling him toward the incision, but the attempts failed even after extending the cut into a “T-shape.” A third consultant obstetrician, Dr Sumita Sarma, was called from the corridor to assist and subsequently delivered the baby, stating to the court that she did not find the delivery difficult.
Andrea Dever recalled experiencing a substantial amount of pressure and tugging under her right rib during the operation. Ódhran was delivered pale, blue, and in shock. Upon admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, he developed Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), metabolic acidosis, and compromised kidney function. Consultant neonatologist Dr Johannes Letswhiti documented concerns regarding a potential liver injury resulting from the delivery, and an ultrasound identified fluid in the abdomen suspicious for blood. Despite multiple transfusions and intensive support, he suffered a massive hemorrhage, prompting a redirection to palliative treatment.
Family Statement and Call for Healthcare Improvements
In a joint statement, Andrea and Terence Dever welcomed the coroner’s verdict and voiced hope that systemic changes would follow. “Odhran entered a theatre in University Hospital Galway on 1st October, 2025, as a perfectly healthy baby ready to meet the world. He left that theatre with fatal injuries and tragically passed away two days later,” the couple stated. They called for improvements in obstetric care at University Hospital Galway and across Ireland to ensure no other family experiences similar trauma, expressing their wish that these reforms form part of their son’s legacy.
Related reading