Tragedy on the maternity ward

Exhausted mother smothers her one-day-old after feeding him in bed

A ONE-day-old baby boy died after his ‘dog tired’ mother was left alone to breastfeed on a maternity ward, an inquest heard.

Teacher Ann Bradley had been struggling to breastfeed her newborn son Louie and had been told by midwives she could feed him while lying by his side.

But after dropping off, the first-time mother awoke to find her baby ‘white and floppy’.

Now a coroner has branded it ‘extraordinary’ that a new mother was left alone in bed with her baby when she was very tired after a long labour.

Assistant coroner John Pollard said he would be writing to hospital bosses raising concerns about the advice given by midwives in the run-up to Louie’s death on August 27 last year.

After giving birth at Royal Bolton Hospital, Mrs Bradley felt ‘a bit nervous’ and was having difficulty breastfeeding so had chosen to stay on the ward for an additional night, the hearing was told.

She said: ‘I was happy to stay. I felt it was a good idea because of how badly the breastfeeding was going.’

She said she had been advised to lie side-by- side with Louie on the bed while breastfeeding him, so when the baby became unsettled, she fed him and sang to him before later falling back to sleep.

After waking up to find Louie’s lifeless body, Mrs Bradley got the attention of midwives and doctors, who tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.

Mrs Bradley’s age and other personal details were not given at the hearing. A relative said she was too upset to speak about her loss yesterday.

Jane Westhead, the midwife who taught her the feeding technique, told the hearing in Bolton that bed-sharing is discouraged and bed safety is discussed. She said: ‘We make them aware of the dangers – I don’t know if there’s an actual policy, but that’s what we do.’

Mr Pollard said the advice given had contradicted national guidance that recommended against ‘ co- sleeping’, and expressed concern that breastfeeding in bed would sometimes happen with the curtains closed around the cubicle, mak- ing it harder to spot problems. When asked by the coroner whether it was ‘staff or patients who run the wards’, Mrs Westhead replied: ‘We can only try to help people. The women don’t want people walking past while they are feeding.’

The coroner also criticised staff for not completing documents and failing to record ‘significant’ details.

Giving evidence, Angela Helleur, chief nursing officer for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, said: ‘The important advice to give is if women feel tired or sleepy to put the baby back in the crib.’

Recording a narrative conclusion, Mr Pollard said Louie died due to a combination of factors including an accidental obstruction of the airways following being fed in his mother’s bed.

Pathologist Dr Melanie Newbould also found that Louie had undiagnosed bronchopneumonia and symptoms of a common cold.

Mr Pollard has given hospital bosses 56 days to respond to his concerns.

Val Clare, head of midwifery at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘It is such a tragedy when the unexpected death of a baby takes place.

‘This was a very rare event and we feel for Louie’s family.’

‘Make them aware of the dangers’