Three Day Inquest Concludes Death Was Result Of Recognised Complications Of Childbirth

A devastated mother whose baby died just hours after his birth at the start of this year has revealed her determination to gain justice regarding his death despite a three day inquest concluding that he died of recognised complications of child birth.

Billy Jones was born in a poor condition at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough in the early hours of January 30th 2017 but died just 35 hours later, with a post-mortem examination noting that he had suffered oxygen deprivation to the brain.

An inquest into his death held at Teesside Coroners Court heard how a number of issues were identified in the care that his mother Rachel Thornton received, including how Billy’s delivery was delayed by several hours. 

This was despite her being fully dilated with Billy in the correct position for delivery and with evidence of infection and concerns raised regarding the baby’s heart rate.

A narrative conclusion was recorded at the hearing, with Senior Coroner for Teesside Claire Bailey stating that Billy’s tragic and untimely death was due to hypoxia as a result of shoulder dystocia. This, it was found, was a recognised complication of childbirth. 

Following Billy’s death, his family including mum, Rachel Thornton, 27, and dad, Daniel Jones, 24, from Middlesbrough, instructed lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the care that both Rachel and her son received during her pregnancy. 

With the inquest now concluded, Billy’s family have revealed how they remain determined to ensure lessons are learned from the events that occurred.

Michael Scobie, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Newcastle office who is acting for Rachel, said: “The loss of a child is something that no parent should have to face and Billy’s family understandably have many questions regarding the care that was provided.

“This inquest has provided some important answers and clarification regarding many aspects of her care. 

“We are still investigating some of their concerns and hope that we can help identify any potential lessons that can be learned to improve care in future.”

From around 28 weeks into the pregnancy, Rachel had suffered severe pain due to pre-existing condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Type III). On January 28th she was admitted to hospital for an early induction of labour. 

At 1am on January 30th she was noted to be fully dilated and 30 minutes later “non-reassuring” CTG traces were recorded alongside a high temperature which indicated an infection.

However, the inquest heard how the on-site obstetric doctors were preoccupied with an ongoing emergency, leading to a delay in pushing or a forceps delivery. Billy did not progress as hoped and ultimately required delivery by forceps, which was attempted at around 4.45am. 

Tragically, the delivery was then further complicated when Billy’s shoulders became stuck, a condition known as Shoulder Dystocia. He was delivered seven minutes later, but was in a poor condition. 

An expert witness report into Billy’s death by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust concluded that active pushing should have started at 1.30am following advice from an on-call consultant, as this would have led to an earlier delivery and potentially improved the chances of survival.

Following the inquest, Rachel Thornton said: “It remains incredibly difficult to talk about the loss of Billy and the inquest has been hugely emotional for the entire family, with the hearing bringing up so many memories of that awful time.

“Now that it has concluded, I am determined to ensure that lessons are learned so that no other family faces what we have been through. This is about ensuring that safety is improved and the issues I faced are never repeated again.”

Billy’s family are now raising funds for the creation of a dedicated bereavement room at James Cook University Hospital for use by bereaved parents of stillborn or deceased newborn children. Click here to provide a donation. 

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