A heartbroken mum said she is "scared" for her baby girl who was born with organs outside of her body. Kaia-Rose Pooley was born at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on March 29 - and has spent the first months of her life in the hospital.
Her mum Kim Pooley had the baby - her third - delivered via a C-section and has voiced her fears over her daughter's treatment. The newborn has complex medical needs, and requires to be fed and nourished via a tube.
But her mum claims that her baby girl was left "without food" for long periods of time. The hospital denies the claims. The 40 year old devastated mum, who works in the special education needs sector, described her daughter's complex needs, adding: "She has got the bowel and intestine on the outside of her body, and that is causing Exomphalos. She also has two holes in her heart.
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"Before Kaia was born, we knew about the holes in her heart and we knew that she would have to stay in hospital for a period of time. However we did not know it would be this long."
The baby spent almost a month in the neonatal section at the Queen's Medical Centre, before being moved to the paediatric co-dependency ward for 13 weeks. She is now at surgical ward, and has undergone surgeries.
The mum said she is now under a "lot of financial strain" and could not pay her mortgage this month because she had to pay for meals while waiting in the hospital. It is understood that the hospital provides meal vouchers to ensure the family member can access food which includes two free meals a day from the canteen and breakfast is provided.
Ms Pooley, from Newark, added: "I am in dire financial mess. I am going into debt all the time, I cannot even afford to pay my mortgage this month."
Kaia is being fed via a tube. Her mum said that the baby went without food for 37 hours, a claim which was denied by the hospital trust.
The mum said: "Kaia keeps crying, she is very unsettled. She keeps pulling the tube out and so she is getting no nutrients, she keeps screaming.
"I feel like I have been ignored. I cannot leave her side, I cannot sleep because every time I hear her moving I am shooting up to try and stop her from pulling this tube out which obviously I am not always successful in doing.
"She has been without feed for 37 hours, and it is not the first time she was left without food for long periods of time. I’m appalled that this is happening and I am just so scared for my daughter."
It is understood that Kaia has complex feeding needs and the hospital denied leaving her 37 hours without being fed. Due to the her Exomphalos, inserting a special feeding tube inside the body is not currently possible, but it is understood that she is currently being fed and being nourished through another feeding tube that goes via her nose.
The hospital are currently continuing to support the patient. Emma Fillmore, Consultant Paediatrician and Divisional Director for Family Health at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, said: “This is a very complex case and our surgeons are working hard to provide specialist life-saving care to this patient, who has a long road to recovery.
“We understand that this is worrying time for the family and we are doing everything we can to improve the lines of communication, support for the family and to explain the different aspects of care in a clearer way.”
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