Baby death FAI told doctor did not know of inherited condition

A doctor has told a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) he would have advised a baby was not operated on had he known about an inherited heart condition which was the suspected cause of death of the child's older brother.

Michael Wilson was born on 11 August 2021 at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and died aged two months at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital on 15 October.

Michael's brother had an inherited heart condition and had died from complications after cardiac surgery.

NHS Grampian consultant paediatric anaesthetist Dr Alan Barnett told the FAI he had looked at patient records before Michael underwent a hernia operation, but they did not identify any associated inherited condition.

Michael's brother died following cardiac surgery in Glasgow in 2019.

Familial elastin atrophy (FEA) - an inherited heart condition - was one of the suspected causes of his death.

Referring to Michael's treatment in 2021, Barnett told the second day of the FAI: "Had I been concerned I would have said to the surgeon that we shouldn't be operating on the child.

"But the information I had didn't suggest any significant abnormality."

Barnett said Michael had appeared well before the operation.

"If it (FEA) had been mentioned at any time, that would have set off alarm bells in my head," he said.

"It's a very serious condition and commonly results in death under anaesthesia."

The inquiry, at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, also heard from Dr Mark Davidson, an intensive care consultant and clinical director for the Scottish Paediatric Cardiac Service based in Glasgow.

He said details of the suspected cause of death of Michael's brother had been relayed to Aberdeen clinicians.

The process for the inquiry began last year.

The Lord Advocate considered the baby's death occurred in circumstances giving rise to serious public concern.

The discretionary FAI was ordered as a result to establish facts surrounding the baby's death rather than apportion any blame.

The inquiry, before Sheriff Christine McCrossan, continues.