A healthy baby has been left blind, deaf and locked inside his body after a trainee midwife did not recognise the early signs of jaundice.
Vasilli Kalisperas, from Malvern, Worcestershire, was suffering from a condition called kernicterus, caused by bilirubin, a yellow substance found in bile.
The condition can be sped up by a fairly common enzyme deficiency called G6PD, which Vasilli had, and if this is not removed from the blood, it can build up in the body and cross the brain barrier, where it eventually causes brain damage.
The condition can be treated with a blood transfusion or light therapy, however the trainee midwife who visited the family reassured Vasilli’s parents by advising them to place their son near a window.
By the time Vasilli was taken to hospital two days later, his parents said his bilirubin level was off the chart. He was given phototherapy, but then went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated.
Worcestershire Acute hospitals NHS trust has admitted liability, saying it was “deeply sorry for the mistakes made in Vasilli’s care”.
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) show that bilirubin should be checked in all babies with jaundice within 72 hours of them being born.
Vasilli’s family will receive a multi-million payout in the future, however this cannot be determined until the full extent of his disabilities are known.