I thought Lisa Barrett was demonstrating contempt when she publicly tweeted during the recently completed Coroner’s Inquest convened to examine her role in two homebirth deaths but that pales in comparison to this.
According to a source, Barrett spent Friday evening at a twin homebirth that resulted in one healthy baby and a second on life support and declared brain dead.
I have asked Barrett to comment but have received no response.
addendum 10/14/11: Yes, Lisa Barrett did preside over another homebirth death. The story has just appeared on Adelaide now, aptly titled Inquest midwife Lisa Barrett helped deliver twins, one which later died:
The State Coroner was notified of the death last week of a newborn twin treated at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
The Advertiser has learned that birthing advocate Lisa Barrett presented to the WCH with the child’s mother in a taxi.
She had been assisting the mother with a homebirth when complications arose following the delivery of the first child, after which a taxi was called.
Ms Barrett is already at the centre of a coronial inquest into the deaths of Tate Spencer-Koch and Jahli Jean Hobbs during homebirths in 2007 and 2009 respectively.
Closing submissions in the inquest were heard last month and Deputy State Coroner Anthony Schapel has reserved his findings.
During the inquest the court also heard that a coronial investigation was under way in Western Australia regarding the death of one twin during a home delivery in July this year.
The court heard Ms Barrett attended that birth as a doula, not a midwife, and provided a statement to police.
So Lisa Barrett has presided over at least 4 deaths in the past 4 years!
I thought I’d bump this because of the brace of inquests from Western Australia:
http://www.coronerscourt.wa.gov.au/I/inquest_into_the_death_of_baby_p.aspx?uid=4307-4293-6344-3452