Midwife who drugged mums and put babies' lives at risk to make her job easier faces being struck off

Nursing watchdog finds that Kirtseen Stewart tried to speed up births by dishing out labuor-inducing drug that led to two babies having to be resuscitated.

Kirsteen Stewart gave a labuor-inducing drug to expectant mothers – putting some babies’ lives at risk as their heart-rates dropped to 50bpm. Nursing watchdogs said the only plausible explanation was to speed up labour to “serve the midwife’s interests”.

Thirteen of the mums had to have emergency Caesarean sections after Stewart gave them Syntocinon, which causes the muscles in the uterus to contract.

It should only be prescribed by a doctor. Babies can be starved of oxygen if it causes the uterus to contract too hard. That can lead to brain injury, cerebral palsy or death.

No babies were killed by Stewart’s actions but two had to be resuscitated at birth.
Stewart, of Newmachar, Aberdeenshire, was found guilty yesterday after a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing.

She was investigated by police in 2010 but no proceedings were brought.
However, a Crown Office spokesman said yesterday: “The Crown reserve the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available.”

NMC case presenter Michael Collis told yesterday’s hearing: “The only logical explanation … is a desire to speed up the women’s time in labour in order to serve the registrant’s own interests.

“It undoubtedly represents a serious departure from the acceptable standards of a registered midwife.

“By behaving in such a way and apparently prioritising her own interests over the interests of her patients and their children, the registrant has breached one of the fundamental tenets of the profession, [which] has undoubtedly been brought into disrepute.”

The panel found Stewart guilty of administering the drug intravenously to 15 of the 20 mums in question.

Two were given the drug on the same day – November 23, 2009 – resulting in their babies experiencing a reduced heart rate.

One woman had to have a Category 1 C-section, where there is an immediate threat to life of the mother or baby.

Scottish Daily