Baby died 'after Birmingham woman not induced for 60 hours'

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Birmingham-based Chelsea Wootton’s baby died due to the hospital’s failure to offer timely care, according to a law firm. Irwin Mitchell claimed that induced labour was expected for Wootton after she completed the 41-week gestation period, but Wootton was not informed of the risks involved in a prolonged pregnancy, the company suggested. Ava-Lea, Wootton’s daughter, died last year, and the law firm alleged at the inquest that delays in Wooton’s care contributed to the baby’s death. Sandwell and West Birmingham trust, which operates the City Hospital in Birmingham, assumed accountability for Ava-Lea’s death.

Wootton attended hospital on August 24, the day before she was due to give birth, as she feared she had started experiencing labour. However, the hospital was unable to induce her due to a lack of hospital capacity, according to the coroner’s court. She was discharged on 26 August and instructed to come back to the hospital the next day, which she did almost two hours later when her waters ruptured. The following day, signs of distress were detected in Ava-Lea, who had breathed in meconium, prompting Ms Wootton to request a caesarean section which was denied for emergency reasons. Ava-Lea was delivered with aid from forceps, but oxygen deprivation caused by inhaling the meconium resulted in her death just 35 hours after birth.

Wootton stated she was not informed about the risks of a prolonged pregnancy by hospital personnel. She further expressed concern that her concerns were neglected and that it was only after the critical condition of her daughter’ heart rate became apparent when the hospital’s personnel made it a priority. Trust director of midwifery, Helen Hurst, apologised to the grieving family for the tragedy, offering her deepest sympathies. The director added the trust had apologised to the family when they shared the investigation’s findings

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