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A mother whose newborn tragically died following a failure by hospital staff to conduct timely checks before his birth recounted feeling “terrified and alone” during an inquest. Eve Taylor, 29, was admitted to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor after her waters broke prematurely at 36 weeks. Medical staff noted potential signs of infection and planned to monitor her later that night. However, a midwife chose not to wake her for these essential observations. When Taylor eventually woke several hours later, she was quickly taken in for an emergency cesarean section.
The baby, Sonny Taylor, was born on 3 October 2022 but sadly passed away three days later due to a brain injury. The coroner determined that his death was preventable. The inquest at Caernarfon revealed that initial monitoring showed no immediate concerns for mother or child, and antibiotics had been administered as a precaution against infection. Yet, Taylor described waking with an overwhelming sense of fear, sensing something was seriously wrong. She informed a midwife that her baby’s movements had decreased, which led to the discovery of a dangerously low heartbeat and the subsequent emergency operation.
Taylor expressed that the situation felt chaotic and disorganized, with rushed staff seemingly overwhelmed. A further delay occurred when she was moved to the labor ward rather than directly to the operating theatre, intensifying the urgency. According to Taylor, “there was panic” among the staff, who were even arguing, and her son was born in poor condition shortly after 2 a.m. He was then transferred to a special care baby unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital but, despite intensive treatment, Sonny died. The court was told that the cause of death was brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation, alongside a sepsis infection.
The senior coroner, Kate Robertson, agreed that Sonny’s death might have been avoided if the missed monitoring had been conducted as planned and if Taylor had been taken directly to surgery when concerns arose. “Sonny’s death would not have occurred at this time,” she stated. Representatives from the health board explained that the case prompted significant changes in maternity care across North Wales, including improved training, better record-keeping, and stricter monitoring procedures. Karen Roberts, head of midwifery nursing, confirmed that audits show monitoring now happens 100% of the time when required, and mothers are always woken for checks. It also emerged the incident had not initially been referred to the coroner and only came to light following media reports linked to the health board’s public apology. Robertson described the delay in holding the inquest—four years after the event—as “entirely regrettable,” acknowledging the prolonged distress it caused for the parents
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