Ada Rose (formerly Ada Golden), of Cameron Close in Brentwood, died in Homerton Hospital seven weeks after she was born on November 30.
Nadia Persaud, area coroner for east London, held a pre-inquest review on Wednesday (June 11), having taken over from coroner Graeme Irvine who opened the inquest in December.
Ms Persaud set out the scope, documentation needed and also witnesses that she will call to make statements.
Ada’s birth was induced at Queen’s Hospital, in Romford, where staff had tried a natural delivery using multiple instruments, such as forceps and a “ventouse” (suction device) to deliver her.
However the natural birth was abandoned and Ada was born on October 13 by an emergency caesarean section.
A pathologist has given her causes of death as a “severe cervical cord injury” (damage to her spine), “occipital diastasis” (a skull injury) and “cerebellar vermis displacement” (brain damage).
Ms Persaud said she would hold a “full, fair and fearless” inquest looking at all matters that contributed to the tot’s death.
She said she would look at an overview of the ante-natal care provided to Ada’s mum Brooke, including whether appropriate guidance was followed given the time it took to deliver Ada following the rupture of membranes which was “around 34 hours”.
The court heard the investigation would include the induction of labour, the monitoring of Ada’s heart rate throughout the labour process, the use of instruments and whether the decision for an emergency caesarean could have been taken earlier.
Having received a report from Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Queen’s, she asked representatives if statements had been taken from key witnesses at the birth and, if so, to provide them to the court within four weeks.
She also asked if the trust had an “electronic safeguard incident report regarding the use of sequential instruments” and was told by a trust representative that they would “find out”.
Ms Persaud said she did not think the report submitted “really addresses the issues in this case that are relevant for the inquest”.
She said she would have to instruct an independent obstetrician to review the care that was provided and following that report instruct an independent neonatologist.
She told the parents on the video call that it would take up to three months to file a report.
She added: “I am concerned about the extent of injuries that were found for Ada and I would like to understand how those occurred and right now with the documents available to me I’m afraid nothing throws any light on that, so I think it is definitely necessary for independent experts to be instructed.
“The downside of it is that it will result to some delays in the final hearing but I do think it’s an important aspect of the evidence that I need.”
The full two inquest is expected to take place on January 19 and 20 next year.
