Baby died after NHS trust failed to warn mother of ‘unsafe’ home birth, coroner finds | NHS
A mother who lost her baby a week after having an “unsafe” home birth against medical advice was failed by the NHS, an investigation has found.
Poppy Hope Lomas was seven days old when she died at University College hospital in London on October 26, 2022, following complications during a home birth that was encouraged by midwives at Barnet hospital, according to her mother.
An inquest into Poppy’s death at Barnet Coroner’s Court concluded that Poppy probably died from lack of oxygen reaching her brain 30 minutes before she was born.
Senior coroner Andrew Walker said the Royal Free London NHS trust agreed to support Poppy’s mother Gemma Lomas with an “unsafe home delivery which was against medical advice” and failed to address “accumulated risk factors”.
After the completion of the inquest on Thursday, Lomas said outside court: “Nothing will bring him back, but to hear the truth acknowledged today means everything to us.
“We trusted the professionals who guided us,” he said, adding that he hoped lessons would be learned.
She had previously told the inquest that because she gave birth to her first daughter, Willow, by caesarean section in 2018, midwives actively encouraged her to have a natural vaginal birth at home despite the risks.
This was despite guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists that vaginal births after caesarean sections (VBACs) should take place in an “appropriately staffed and equipped birthing suite” and with “resources available for emergency caesarean delivery”.
“I was encouraged to do what we did,” Lomas said. “I would not make decisions that would harm myself or my baby in any way.”
Around one in 50 births in England and Wales occur at home, but these are only recommended for low-risk pregnancies.
Last year, experts told the Guardian mothers needed to be given clearer warnings about the potentially fatal dangers of giving birth at home.
It comes after the coroner ruled a Manchester mother and her daughter died due to a “massive failure” in her care after giving birth at home. The inquest heard the dangers of home birth were not fully explained and phrases such as “outside guidance” were preferred over “against medical advice”.
In his closing speech to the inquest into Poppy’s death, the coroner also noted concerns about the use of the phrase “outside guidance”. He also recommended that if parents choose “unsafe home birth,” multidisciplinary meetings should be held and they should sign a consent form that clearly explains the risks.
A spokesman for the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust offered its “sincerest condolences” to Poppy’s family.
“Following an investigation, we have taken a number of measures to improve the care of women giving birth at home,” they said; These included better communication and ensuring midwives were aware of the guidance on transferring mothers to hospital.
They added that the trust would respond to the issues raised by the coroner in due course.
