Newborn Tragedy: Baby Dies as Exhausted Mother Falls Asleep Post-Early Discharge

A heart-wrenching incident occurred when a newborn, Evelyn Grace March, tragically died after her exhausted mother, who was sent home just four hours after giving birth, fell asleep while breastfeeding. The distressing event unfolded after the mother had endured a prolonged labor, leading to overwhelming fatigue.

The incident, which took place on September 26, 2023, has ignited concerns over hospital discharge policies. Evelyn and her mother were discharged from Leeds General Infirmary, where Evelyn was born, in the early hours, despite the mother’s severe lack of rest during the preceding days.

At around 1.45 AM on September 27, in a desperate attempt to soothe her unsettled baby, the mother brought Evelyn into her bed for breastfeeding. It is believed that during this time, the sheer exhaustion overcame her, and she fell asleep. The next awakening was grim; at approximately 4 AM, she found Evelyn unresponsive beneath her, an apparent victim of accidental suffocation.

Emergency services rushed Evelyn back to Leeds General Infirmary, but, devastatingly, she was pronounced dead at 7.50 AM. The official cause of death was listed as “unascertained,” yet the coroner suggested accidental suffocation as the likely cause.

Senior coroner for West Yorkshire, Kevin McLoughlin, presided over the inquest and expressed that this tragedy might have been preventable had the hospital allowed the new mother and her baby to stay longer for much-needed rest and monitoring. McLoughlin has since issued a stark warning to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust about the dangers of premature post-labor discharges.

In his report, McLoughlin highlighted several concerns, particularly the rapid discharge following a prolonged and induced labor. He has formally recommended that the Trust reevaluates its discharge policies to prevent such future tragedies, suggesting that a few extra hours in the hospital for rest and monitoring could have averted this heartbreaking outcome.

The Trust now has 56 days to respond to the coroner’s report and outline steps it plans to take to address these critical concerns, potentially reshaping its policies to prioritize the well-being of both mothers and their newborns.