Our 7-week-old baby boy suffered a brain bleed and died after medics failed to give him routine injection
A SEVEN-WEEK-OLD baby boy died from a bleed in the brain after medics failed to give him a routine injection, a coroner has ruled.
Little William Moris-Patto was born premature at 34 weeks in July 2020 at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge – but died on September 17 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
After his birth, it was incorrectly recorded that he had received a vitamin K injection.
The NHS advises that all newborn babies receive vitamin K to help with blood clotting.
At inquest into his death in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, heard that William died of vitamin K deficiency bleeding, or VKDB.
The condition occurs in up to 1.7 per cent of newborns who do not receive the shot soon after birth.
Coroner Lorna Skinner, said: “William died of natural causes – a vitamin K deficiency which caused a spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage.
“His death was contributed to by neglect in that he was not given vitamin K after birth and if he had been, he would not have died.”
William stayed in hospital for two weeks before being discharged with a nasogastric tube, but became unwell overnight on September 11.
His parents rang the NHS 111 and an ambulance was dispatched which took William to Addenbrooke’s hospital for surgery.
But clinicians believed the damage to his brain was too great and he would never recover.
Since the death of their son, Naomi and Alex Moris-Patto have campaigned to raise awareness of the importance of vitamin K for premature babies.
Namoi said she asked hospital staff if William had received all the necessary postnatal checks and care – and staff reassured her he had.
While all babies need some level of Vitamin K post-birth, premature babies are even more in need because of higher levels of deficiencies and are at much higher risk of bleeding.
“I think there are still concerns for us, we still think there is a risk for future deaths because of the systematic errors that were at play,” Alex said.
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it fully accepted the coroner’s findings.
A spokesman said: “The trust remains deeply saddened by William’s tragic death and wishes to express its sincere condolences and apologies to his family at this difficult time.
“Processes were, and continue to be, constantly reviewed to ensure a similar error cannot be made in the future. If, following further review, the coroner has any concerns, these will be addressed.”
What is a brain haemorrhage?
A brain haemorrhage is a type of stroke which is caused by an artery bursting in the brain.
This causes bleeding in the surrounding tissues and kills brain cells.
The meaning of haemorrhage is literally “blood bursting forth”, and the condition causes around 13 per cent of strokes.
A brain haemorrhage is also known as a subarachnoid haemorrhage.
It is most often caused by a brain aneurysm.
Source: NHS