This story was first published on Wednesday June 6
A doctor in Scotland who caused a baby to be decapitated during birth has been cleared of serious misconduct and can return to work.
Dr Vaishnavy Vilvanathan Laxman wrongly proceeded with a regular delivery with a 30-year-old first-time mother who was 25 weeks pregnant at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee in March 2014, The Independent reports.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel said "the only appropriate course" was a Caesarean section as the baby - known as baby B - was in the breech position, with a prolapsed cord and low heart rate, and the mother's cervix was less than four centimetres dilated.
The baby's head became trapped during the birth and various techniques were tried to free it, but during this his "head became detached from his body," the panel said.
By this time he was already dead, the panel said.
The tribunal on Tuesday cleared Dr Laxman of serious misconduct and said her fitness to practise was not impaired, The Independent said in its online report from the Press Association.
It ruled the decision to proceed with a natural birth was "negligent and fell below the standards ordinarily to be expected" but did not amount to serious misconduct.
"The tribunal was satisfied that throughout the attempted delivery of baby B, Dr Vilvanathan Laxman believed that she was acting in both patient A's and baby B's best interests, and that she genuinely believed that proceeding with a vaginal delivery was the optimum course to take in the circumstances which existed at the time," the tribunal said.
"The tribunal is satisfied that Dr Vilvanathan Laxman has expressed genuine and appropriate remorse for what happened, and she candidly accepted responsibility as the consultant in charge in theatre that day," it added.
The tribunal said it was satisfied that Dr Vilvanathan Laxman does not currently present a risk to patients and her wrong decision related to an isolated, single incident in an otherwise unblemished career.
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