A tragic incident occurred at Leeds General Infirmary, where a newborn baby named Evelyn Grace March passed away after her mother, who was described as “exhausted,” was discharged just hours after a prolonged birth. The heartbreaking event unfolded when Evelyn’s mother unintentionally fell asleep while breastfeeding the one-day-old baby in bed.
Evelyn was born at Leeds General Infirmary on September 26, 2023, after a challenging labour. Her mother, who had endured sleep deprivation from Sunday until Evelyn’s birth, along with her parents, were discharged home a mere four hours post-birth. In the early hours of September 27, the unsettled baby was brought into her mother’s bed for feeding, where her mother fell asleep during breastfeeding.
Tragically, Evelyn was found unresponsive under her mother’s breast around 4 am. Despite immediate emergency intervention, Evelyn could not be revived and was pronounced dead at 7.50 am at the same hospital where she was born. The cause of Evelyn’s death was recorded as “unascertained,” with the coroner hinting at accidental suffocation by a sleeping adult.
Senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin suggested that Evelyn’s death could have been prevented if she and her mother had not been discharged from the hospital so soon after the birth. He cautioned that there could be a risk of similar tragedies unless prompt action was taken by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Mr. McLoughlin outlined several concerns in his report to the Trust, urging immediate preventive measures to avoid future deaths.
The Trust has been given 56 days to respond to the coroner’s report, detailing actions taken or planned to address the issues raised. This devastating incident serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of postnatal care and the need for careful consideration before discharging new mothers and babies. It underscores the critical role hospitals play in ensuring the well-being and safety of both mother and child during the delicate postpartum period, in a bid to prevent such tragedies from reoccurring.
The community and healthcare institutions alike have been deeply affected by the untimely loss of baby Evelyn, prompting calls for enhanced postnatal care and increased vigilance to safeguard the health and welfare of new mothers and their newborns. The tragic outcome of this story underscores the need for heightened awareness and proactive measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.