Inquest to probe how newborn Nixon Tonkin’s skull was fractured during delivery

Nixon Tonkin never breathed on his own and died shortly after being delivered at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in June 2014 at 38 weeks’ gestation.

Deputy state coroner John Locke is this week set to probe how Nixon’s skull was fractured when a midwife attempted to free him during a caesarean birth. The Brisbane Coroner’s Court has previously heard the not uncommon manoeuvre didn’t usually cause such catastrophic injuries but cases had been reported.

In a statement, Nixon’s family said they were grateful for the investigation into what went wrong.

“We hope that the inquest will reveal what could have been done to help prevent Nixon’s death and make recommendations to prevent future tragedies of this sort,” the statement said.

The family said they also wanted to raise awareness about Ryan’s Rule, which allows relatives to request a second opinion if they are not satisfied with a hospital’s care or response.