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Prisoner's baby dies after emergency C-section
15 Sep
Summary
- Baby Orion Homer, born prematurely at 34 weeks, died a day after emergency C-section.
- Mother, a prisoner, raised concerns about reduced fetal movement days before hospital transfer.
- Rhesus incompatibility and meconium aspiration listed as causes of the baby's death.
A newborn baby, Orion Homer, died in hospital just a day after being born prematurely via emergency Caesarean section. Born at 34 weeks plus five days gestation on October 15, 2023, at Royal Derby Hospital, Orion was gravely unwell upon arrival. His mother, Ellen Roberts, who was a prisoner at HMP Foston Hall, had been transferred to the hospital on October 14 after raising concerns about reduced fetal movement.
During the inquest at Derby Coroner's Court, it was heard that Orion required CPR and breathing support immediately after birth due to being pale and not breathing independently. Medical evidence indicated he was anaemic and struggling to breathe. The neonatal team was not informed of the high-risk pregnancy until the baby's birth, a delay in communication that medical professionals noted was against standard practice.
Further details revealed that the cause of death was meconium aspiration, fetal distress, and hydrops fetalis from rhesus incompatibility, a condition where the mother and baby have different blood types, causing the mother's antibodies to attack the baby's red blood cells. Premature birth was also a contributing factor. The court also heard that the mother had a history of previous pregnancies with rhesus incompatibility.
