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Newborn Dies After Hospital Misses Vital Checks
26 Jan
Summary
- Hospital staff failed to wake mother for vital checks on newborn.
- Baby Sonny suffered brain damage and sepsis from oxygen starvation.
- Earlier delivery likely would have prevented the tragic outcome.
A newborn baby boy, Sonny, tragically passed away just three days after birth due to critical failures in maternity care. An internal NHS investigation revealed that hospital staff did not wake his mother, Eve, 29, for potentially life-saving observations and to monitor the unborn baby's heart rate. Sonny was delivered via C-section at Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor, North Wales, in poor condition with a low heart rate.
Sonny suffered catastrophic brain damage and sepsis after being starved of oxygen for a significant period. The investigation found that Eve should have been woken at 10pm on September 29, 2022, for monitoring. Instead, she remained asleep, and a delay in transferring her to the labour ward further postponed Sonny's delivery.
Investigators concluded that had Eve been monitored properly, Sonny's earlier delivery would likely have averted the tragic outcome. The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has since issued a formal apology, acknowledging serious failings in care and accepting the review's findings. They have committed to learning from the incident and implementing necessary improvements to maternity care.
