Sonny Taylor in hospital in Bangor. He was born in “poor condition” after staff failed to wake his mother for observation – Irwin Mitchell/SWNS
A baby died three days after he was born after NHS medics failed to wake his pregnant mother for observation.
Sonny Taylor suffered catastrophic brain damage from being left “in agony for an extended period of time” due to lack of oxygen.
An internal NHS investigation found that midwives kept his mother Eve, 29, asleep rather than waking her to observe and listen to Sonny’s heart.
The baby was born via caesarean section at Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor, Wales, in a “poor condition”. He died on October 3, 2022, at three days old from brain damage caused by sepsis and lack of oxygen.
His parents won a secret settlement after suing the local health board. Speaking for the first time about her son’s death, Eve said: “When I entered the hospital I never imagined what would happen next.
“What followed was crazy, chaotic and scary. I fell asleep during the emergency C-section, not knowing if I would wake up or if my baby would survive.”
Mother was sent to the wrong ward
On September 29, 2022, Eve was admitted to Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital when her water broke when she was 36 weeks pregnant.
Sonny’s heart rate was initially diagnosed as normal, but signs of an underlying infection were discovered later that afternoon.
At 6 PM, Eve’s observations and Sonny’s heart rate and movements were classified as normal. At 10 pm, because Eve was sleeping, there was no observation or monitoring.
She woke up at 1:30 a.m. on September 30, worried about Sonny’s reduced activity, and called the registrar. The registrar determined that Sonny had an abnormal heart rate.
Eve arrived at 1.43am but was mistakenly transferred to the delivery room instead of being delivered. The call requested an emergency C-section. Sonny’s birth was delayed 15 minutes, at 2:03 am.
With the permission of Eve and her partner Thomas, Sonny was moved from the NICU to palliative care.
NHS apologizes for ‘mistake’
Thomas said his son was “extremely let down at a time when he needed help the most.”
His parents have won an undisclosed settlement after taking legal action against Betsi Cadwaladr University’s local health board. Through NHS Wales, the committee apologized for the “errors identified” in the inquiry’s report.
The report found that the midwife should have woken Eve at 10pm and observed and listened to Sonny’s heart rate.
Sara Burns, a medical negligence solicitor at Irwin Mitchell LLP, who represented Eve, said: “While we are pleased to have reached a settlement and are grateful to the health board for their co-operation in resolving this case quickly, no amount of compensation can make up for the pain this family has experienced.”
Carol Shillabeer, chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “Our sincere condolences go out to the family of little Sonny who sadly passed away in 2022.
“We are deeply sorry for their passing and the failure of care that occurred. We recognize the profound impact this has had on Sonny’s family and we apologize unreservedly for the pain caused.”