AN EIGHT-week-old baby is in critical condition in a Glasgow hospital after he was given 10 times the correct dose of paracetamol.
Zohan Ul Hassan was born seven weeks premature on January 24.
He was first admitted to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow at just six weeks old after showing symptoms of a hernia on the left side of his abdomen, STV News reports.
The baby underwent surgery at the beginning of March and was discharged, but after his stomach began to swell again doctors said he would need another hernia surgery on his right side.
Zohan underwent his second surgery on March 18, during which doctors gave him 200mg of paracetamol instead of 20mg.
The baby's medical team administered a dose of acetylcysteine, an antidote for paracetamol poisoning.
The following day, Zohan was transferred to the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit after he began to have seizures.
He was placed on a ventilator and sedated and has remained unconscious since.
Zohan's parents, from Ayr, have been staying near the hospital so they can be near to Zohan.
They told STV News that Zohan has swelling on the brain and may have irreversible brain damage and vision problems, with doctors currently unable to predict the outcome.
Zohan's father, Ahad, said: “We’ve completely lost all faith in the NHS – in a meeting with the hospital director yesterday, they apologised profusely but that won’t make this all go away.
“Our baby is still sick and an apology is not going to make him well. We just want to hold our poor baby and take him home.”
The health board has accepted responsibility for the overdose and an internal investigation into the incident is underway.
Dr Claire Harrow, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s deputy medical director for acute services, said: “We would like to sincerely apologise to the family of baby Zohan Ul Hassan.
“We are continuing to deliver the best possible care for Zohan and we continue to offer support to his family at this distressing time.
“We have launched a full investigation into this incident and his family will be fully informed of and involved in this process as it continues.”
