A baby died 31 hours after being born when a mother whose waters had broken was sent home by doctors who told her that she had wet herself.
What Happened?
Rebecca Walker, 46, was 26 weeks into her pregnancy with baby Charlie-Jay when she began to lose water on June 12, 2019.
She attended Royal Stoke University Hospital, Staffordshire, where she was scanned and advised the fluid loss was likely to her wetting herself.
Despite her concerns, Ms Walker was discharged, sent home and told to come back for a repeat scan in two weeks.
She was also reassured that right-sided pain she was complaining about was due to her baby leaning on a nerve.
How The Baby Was Infected
But one week later, Ms Walker was taken by ambulance to another hospital after suffering further pain in her right side.
An examination confirmed her waters had broken a week ago and there were also worrying signs of an infection.
She began experiencing contractions later that day and was transferred to another hospital where Charlie-Jay was born by emergency C-section.
The Baby Had Respiratory Issues
The tiny baby was admitted to the neonatal unit with suspected sepsis – where the body attacks itself in response to an infection – as well as respiratory issues.
He died in Ms Walker’s arms the following day on June 21, 2019 – 31 hours after being born.
The Baby Was Her First Child
Following the death of Charlie-Jay, who was Ms Walker’s first child with partner David Brindley, 35, she instructed medical negligence lawyers to investigate their care.
Lawyers have now secured an undisclosed settlement from the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs Stoke Hospital.
Victim Impact Statement
Ms Walker has told how she continues to be affected by the loss of her baby more than four years on and is urging medics to listen to the concerns of mums-to-be.
The mother-of-three, of Rugeley, Staffordshire, said: ‘The news that Charlie-Jay wasn’t going to make it came as a complete shock to me and I remember begging the doctors to help him.
‘He passed away in my arms. This was the first and last time I was able to hold him.
