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When the one person you should be able to trust during labour takes advantage of you.

The Mirror reported that Kirsteen Stewart administered expectant mums with a labour-inducing drug which resulted in some babies’ heartbeats dropping as low as 50 beats per minute.

A nursing watchdog said the only plausible explanation was a desire to speed up labour in order to “serve the midwife’s own interests”.

Thirteen of the mothers had to undergo an emergency caesarean section after Ms Stewart gave them Syntocinon, which causes the muscles in the uterus to contract.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is now set to remove Ms Stewart from the register – meaning she will never be able to enter the profession again.

NMC case presenter Michael Collis told today’s Edinburgh hearing: “The only logical explanation that has been put forward as to why the registrant might have behaved in this way…is a desire to speed up the women’s time in labour in order to serve the registrant’s own interests.”

“This is, of course, an explanation that has already been accepted by this panel as a plausible explanation.”

The panel found Ms Stewart guilty of administering a “bolus” – intravenous – dose of the drug to 15 of the 20 mothers in question.

All cases took place between 3 November 2007 and 13 March 2010 at the Aberdeen Maternity Hospital.

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  • Glad she’s been struck off. Seems like a real selfish person. The poor mothers its difficult enough the process of given birth without someone causing more stress and upset. I wonder if they will sue for the trauma she put them through.

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  • I am glad she will be out of the profession – Any other penalties?.

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  • What is wrong with the world? :'( Such horrible things people do to one another. It’s not right. :( Luckily the mothers and babies made it through, but a caesarean is nothing to shake a stick at! If it wasn’t necessary, I’m sure many of the mother wouldn’t have chosen to have it! Unacceptable!

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  • I often wonder why people do things like this… What was she trying to achieve? Was it really just about her own convenience, and if so that’s worrying

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  • Gosh there are bad eggs in every profession – scary stuff


    • There are in every profession, but thankfully they do get caught!

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  • She should also be charged with physical abuse. I hope she was sacked at a minute’s notice and no entitlements paid. She should be allowed to work in the medical profession at all – including a medical centre – not even as a receptionist.


    • That is a bad typing error. She should NOT be allowed to work at any medical place.

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  • How dangerously disgraceful this is, putting mums and their bubs lives at risk just to save herself some time.
    Pray moms and bubs are doing well.

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  • Thankfully she has been stopped from working as a midwife ever again. I feel for the poor mums involved in this case – having to endure unnecessary intervention.

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  • Stupid woman some of those mothers may have delivered naturally and may not have had to have c sections, i’d be suing as you shouldn’t have that happen to you!

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  • That’s terrible. I’m so glad she got caught

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  • I would hope that not only is she struck from the register but prosecuted to highest degree for putting so many lives at risk.

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  • Such a low and selfish act!!

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  • It is scary that this woman who was in a position of trust could breach her duty to these women time and time again. I hope she is dealt with appropriately.

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  • I hope she faces an appropriate penalty – at the very least she should lose her job and never be hired in a healthcare position again.


    • yeah she acted very recklessly, for sure!

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  • That’s terrible! Just making her own interests and putting the lives of those mums and their babies at risk. :-(

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