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Charley Hooper - Source: 20/20 -
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Christchurch GP obstetrician Dr Lynda Exton is calling for a full commission of inquiry and an independent review into New Zealand's maternity system.
Exton believes the system is letting women down and costing babies their lives.
"I've come across the cases of hundreds of families," Exton says of what she describes as "an unmonitored scandal".
The call follows the tragic story of baby girl Charley Hooper who was all but suffocated during her birth on September 7, 2005.
Charley faces a lifetime of pain and suffering after two midwives botched her resuscitation at birth.
Charley's parents, Jenn and Mark Hooper are living a 24-7 nightmare as Charley needs to be fed over a six hour period, suffers up to 200 seizures a day, and continuously needs to attend doctors' appointments and specialist treatments.
Jenn filed a complaint with the Health and Disability Commissioner and the midwives were ordered to review their practices, undertake further training and send a letter of apology.
The letter was supposed to heal the pain and help the family move on but Jenn says the apology is not enough.
"I can't imagine what that family is going through," says Exton. "I think every day...daily living...would take a lot of courage in that circumstance."
She says there is no one segment of the maternity system to blame but that the whole system itself is in dire need of an overhaul.
"Mothers and babies keep dying or are becoming disabled needlessly every year but not enough is being done about it. The tragedies are being swept under the carpet and ignored and it's not good enough."
A group of mothers and professionals have also come forward to express their concern about the poor care for mothers and their babies.
The group back Exton's call and are also exploring the option of a judicial review of possible procedural failures on the part of the Ministry of Health during the years of maternity reforms.
