UK investigation says 'stillborn' twin sent to mortuary was 'actually alive'

Amid an investigation into 12 maternity trusts in the United Kingdom, information has emerged that a newborn baby was declared dead and sent to a hospital mortuary, where it was found that the infant was actually alive.

Key Takeaways:

• An investigation was launched into 12 maternity trusts in the United Kingdom (UK).

• In one case, twins were born, and one was declared stillborn. She was sent to the mortuary but was later brought back to her mother, with doctors admitting she was actually alive.

• Doctors refused to administer any lifesaving care to the baby, who was born at 24 weeks and survived for 24 hours after birth, with her parents doing their best to keep her alive. Her twin, who did receive medical care, lived for 12 hours.

The Details:

The story is one of many shocking claims against John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. At least 24 mothers have been interviewed by the New Statesman and Channel 4 News regarding the deaths or physical harm done to their babies at the hospital since 2009.

One of those mothers, Emma Cox, gave birth to twin girls prematurely in May 2011.

She explained, "At 24 weeks I went into spontaneous labour. They were born. I was told that one of them was stillborn [Lilly] and the other [Hope] was taken and resuscitated and taken to the neonatal unit. A short time later, Lilly was brought back to me and they said the mortuary was unable to take her because she was actually alive."

She added, "She was pink, and she was moving her little hands and her little toes."

Cox, who was 17 at the time she gave birth to twins, had been pregnant with triplets, but had lost one early in the pregnancy. She said she begged the hospital staff to move Lilly to the neonatal unit where Hope was being cared for, but they said nothing could be done to save her because she had been without oxygen for too long. The family tried to keep Lilly alive by placing her on a radiator for warmth.

According to Cox's medical records, a doctor wrote, "I have encouraged the parents and grandparents to keep the little girl with them, and warned them she may live for many hours.”

However, Lilly survived for 24 hours after birth despite allegedly receiving no medical assistance, and Hope lived for 12 hours after birth.

According to reports, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said the hospital "has serious questions to answer, and sunlight is the best disinfectant."

Why It Matters:

Babies born as young as 21 weeks have survived such a preterm birth when given appropriate medical care. However, while some hospitals are not equipped to care for babies born that prematurely, others refuse to treat them because they believe they will likely die anyway, or grow up with health complications.

It appears that even in 2011, John Radcliffe Hospital was equipped to care for Lilly, because doctors had already moved Hope to the neonatal unit for treatment. It remains unclear why John Radcliffe Hospital believed Lilly was stillborn when she was alive, or why they believed her life wasn't worth trying to save alongside her sister's.

Furthermore, the United Kingdom guidelines do not currently recommend that health care be given to premature infants unless they are born at or after 22 weeks gestation. It is a sign of how the health care system is set up to deny patients care if they don't meet arbitrary standards.

Could Lilly have survived longer if she had been given active care right away? Sadly, the Cox family will never know.

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The Bottom Line:

Parents put their trust in medical professionals, and as the investigation into maternity units in the UK unfolds, it appears that the NHS may be abusing that trust.