A newborn baby has died from sepsis at just three days old after doctors failed to wake his mother for potentially life-saving observations on a 'chaotic' maternity ward. Sonny Taylor suffered catastrophic brain damage due to oxygen deprivation after being left distressed for a significant period.
The infant was delivered in poor condition via caesarean section at Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor, Wales, after doctors detected a low heart rate. An internal NHS investigation revealed that midwifery staff had left his mother, Eve, 29, sleeping rather than waking her for observations and fetal heartbeat monitoring.
Eve had been admitted after her waters broke at 36 weeks. She later woke and reported reduced fetal movement, but instead of being taken straight to theatre, she was mistakenly transferred to a labour ward, delaying delivery despite a registrar confirming a low heart rate. There was a 15-minute delay before Sonny was born.
Sonny was transferred from neonatal intensive care to palliative care with parental consent and died aged three days from brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation and sepsis. The couple pursued legal action against Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board and have secured an undisclosed settlement.
Eve said: 'When I awoke Sonny wasn't moving as much... What followed was frantic, chaotic, and terrifying. We'll forever cherish those precious but too few moments we got to spend with Sonny, but it broke us having to say goodbye.' The health board expressed regret for the failings identified in the investigation.
