TVC E. A South African mother is enduring a long period of anguish after her newborn baby suffered a broken arm during caesarian section delivery – Doctors told her she has to wait several weeks for a full medical examination on her baby’s arm – In the meantime, they are only giving her painkillers for the baby A mother in the South African town of Philippi in the Western Cape province is enduring a long period of anguish after her newborn baby suffered a broken arm during caesarian section delivery.
Ntombethemba Apile and her baby Immediately after 36-year-old Ntombethemba Apile gave birth to her son, Anam Apile, on March 23, doctors at the Mowbray Maternity Hospital informed her of the fracture in her son’s arm and said she has to wait until April 18 for a full medical examination of the injury at a special hospital. Apile described her distress to a local reporter: “The doctor came to me in the theatre room and told me my son’s arm had been broken. That was just it. He didn’t say anything else and they told me I would get a letter referring us to Red Cross, where my child would be examined.”
She added that doctors did not advice her on how to handle her baby to avoid aggravating his injury and that they gave her only painkillers to give to her son, which have since got finished. She says her son is in pain and cries whenever she has to handle and move him around, such as when bathing him.
A spokesperson for Mowbray Maternity Hospital insisted that all procedures had been followed in handling Apile’s son’s injury. However, they said they are conducting further investigations into the incident. Here is a video explaining steps taken to prevent baby injuries during C-section.
