Medical Negligence Lawyers Instructed To Investigate Care Provided To Mum And Son

A grieving couple from Suffolk have spoken out on their ‘devastating’ loss after their baby boy died four days following his birth.

Lori Clark, from Suffolk, was 38 weeks into her first pregnancy when she attended West Suffolk Hospital and was found to have raised blood pressure.  At 39 and 41 weeks, her blood pressure was still reported to be high.

A sweep was performed at 41 weeks.  The following day, Lori began losing blood.  She called 999 and an ambulance arrived shortly afterwards.  Observations were carried out and paramedics called the hospital to advise they were bringing Lori into the labour ward.  The ambulance left Lori’s house around half an hour later.

Following Lori’s admission to the labour ward, a cardiotocograph (CTG) was used, but the baby’s heart rate couldn’t be heard.  A Doppler was performed and, whilst the heart rate was found, it was audibly low.   

A decision was made to carry out a Caesarean section.  Baby Roman was born on 25 March 2021.  He was pale, floppy and not crying.  He required resuscitation and was intubated at one-and-a-half minutes old.  He was found to have suffered a lack of oxygen and was referred to the neonatal unit for cooling therapy.

However, his condition deteriorated over the next four days.  Lori and her husband, James Clark, made the difficult decision to remove Roman’s breathing tube.  He died on 29 March 2021, aged four days.  A death certificate stated the cause of death to be placental abruption, multi-organ failure and severe brain damage as a result of a lack of oxygen.

Following Roman’s death, the couple, aged 31 and 32, instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, to investigate their care under the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and help them access the specialist support they require.

Lori and James are now joining their legal team in supporting Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Expert Opinion

“The past year has been incredibly tough for Lori and James. What should have been the happiest time of their lives turned out to be the worst.

Through our work, we come across too many families left devastated following an injury at birth. Understandably, Lori and James are still struggling to come to terms with losing Roman, while also carrying around so many questions over the events leading up to his tragic death.

Sadly, nothing will ever make up for what they’ve been through, but we’re now investigating their concerns. If during the course of our investigation, any issues are identified, it’s vital that lessons are learned to improve maternity safety.

We’ll continue to support Lori and James at this distressing time.”
Alice Fitzgerald Miller - Solicitor

Lori, a teaching assistant and James, a bricklayer, have been married for five years.   

Lori said: “James and I had been so excited to add to our little family and we couldn’t wait to bring Roman home.

“When my blood pressure started going up, I didn’t feel hugely concerned and trusted the medics to do what was best for both me and my baby.  But then I started losing a lot of blood and I knew something was wrong.

“Roman needed help as soon as he was born, and we were aware he wasn’t very well.  However, nothing prepared us for being told there was nothing more that could be done for him.  Holding Roman together, whilst he took his last breath was heart-breaking and we will never forget the distress and despair we felt that day.”

“Leaving the hospital without our baby boy was devastating.  We had so many future plans which will never happen.

“The grief we were left with has been made worse by the questions we have surrounding Roman’s death and whether more could have been done prior to him being born.  While nothing can change what’s happened or make up for our loss, we just want the answers we deserve.

“We also hope that by sharing our story, we can raise awareness around baby loss and make sure others going through something similar know that there is help and support out there.  You needn’t go through it alone.

“Roman is and always will be a massive part of our lives and we'll never stop telling people about him."

Baby Loss Awareness Week runs from 9 to 15 October, giving anyone touched by pregnancy and baby loss a safe and supportive space to share their experiences and feel that they are not alone. 

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling medical negligence cases