The tragic death in childbirth of Laura Liston

36 year old Laura Liston died in June 2022 after giving birth to
a baby boy at her home near Croom, Limerick, under the HSE
homebirth service. Since then, HSE midwest has suspended home
birthing in the area.


She is the first mother to die in home birth in Ireland. Ms
Liston’s inquest was held this week at Kilmallock courthouse in
Co Limerick, returning a finding of medical misadventure.


Ms Liston’s husband, Fergal Mannion, and other relatives,
including her parents, issued a statement through their solicitor
after the inquest.


“Laura dreamed of becoming a mother and raising a family with
Fergal in her native Croom,” solicitor Scarlett Griffin O’
Sullivan said.


“To become a mother was all she ever wanted, maternal by nature,
she was a beautiful woman inside and out.”


The statement continued: “She did her research and opted for a
homebirth via the HSE service and trusted that she would be
afforded basic antenatal care. Unfortunately there were deficits
in that care, in particular following her son’s delivery. But for
those failings Laura would still be alive today.”


The families stood silently behind her, and added in the
statement: “This tragedy was avoidable and should never have
happened."


Irish Examiner Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin attended the
inquest and is the guest on today's episode of The Deirdre
O’Shaughnessy Podcast.


Family says homebirth death was avoidable after medical
misadventure verdict


HSE apologises to family of Limerick woman who died after giving
birth at home


HSE completes review of homebirth services suspended due to death
of Limerick woman


The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Free birthing and the tragic
death of Naomi James


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