Newborn baby girl dies at just 2 months old after hospital blunder
JUST days after little Nailah Ally was born, she was diagnosed with a serious gut issue.
Nailah, who was born in Crawley had necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) – an illness which sees the gut become inflamed and start to die.
She was also diagnosed with a hole in the heart during the pregnancy.
But due to a hospital blunder, the youngster died after going into septic shock at just two-months-old on January 13, 2020.
Now her heartbroken parents have been given undisclosed compensation from a hospital trust after medics interpreted some of her symptoms as a cow’s milk intolerance.
On December 28, 2019, Nailah was taken to hospital as she had a swollen stomach.
She received treatment for suspected sepsis, but doctors did not perform a barium enema.
This is a test that helps to highlight the large bowel so it can be clearly seen on an X-ray – to consider the possibility that her intestine could have narrowed because of damage caused by NEC.
Her parents, Laila Tobota, 26, and her partner Emmanuel Ally, instructed lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care under Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs East Surrey Hospital.
The legal team highlighted that an NHS investigation showed that a consultant believed Nailah might have had an intolerance to cow’s milk and changed the formula she was feeding on.
On January 7, 2020, Nailah was sent home from East Surrey Hospital and was scheduled in for a follow up appointment three days later.
The following day Nailah went into septic shock and an X-ray showed a suspected perforated bowel.
Her condition worsened and she died on January 13, 2020.
A post-mortem examination found she died from multiple organ failure caused by NEC and a narrowing of the intestine.
A spokesman for Irwin Mitchell said: “A root cause analysis investigation report by the Trust found there was a failure to perform barium enema, which in retrospect, may have found Nailah’s narrowed intestine which she suffered ‘due to her episode of necrotising enterocolitis’.
“The failure to perform the test was down to poor documentation, poor face-to-face handovers between doctors and poor ownership of Nailah’s case by one named consultant, the report found.”
The spokesman said that the Trust had paid an undisclosed out of court settlement to Nailah’s parents to help them access the specialist support they required following her death but it did not admit liability.
What is necrotising enterocolitis?
Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious bowel condition. It mainly affects premature babies although it can very rarely occur in full-term babies, the NHS states.
Although the cause isn’t certain, there are some risk factors, guidance states:
These include:
- Prematurity.
- – Septicaemia (blood infection) – quite a common problem in sick babies.
- Problems which affect blood and oxygen supply to the bowel.
- Formula milk feeds. (Breast milk provides some protection).
- Respiratory distress syndrome – a common breathing problem in ill premature
- newborns.
- Cyanotic congenital heart disease – babies born with heart disease who are “blue”.
- Babies who have not grown well whilst in the womb.
The condition can present suddenly or more slowly.
Medics usually suspect babies have the condition if their tummy swells up or if they are unwell.
They may vomit or suck up the feeding tube and their milk might be green because of the bile.
If you are worried about their symptoms call NHS 111 or visit your GP. In the event of an emergency, always call 999.
Emily Mansfield, the medical negligence expert representing the family, said: “The last few years and coming to terms with Nailah’s death has understandably been incredibly traumatic for Laila and Emmanuel.
“Nailah’s case not only vividly highlights the dangers of sepsis but the potential consequences of poor communication between doctors as well as between doctors and families.”
Ms Tobota, an HR manager, said: “While it’s three years since Nailah died the hurt and pain we feel is still as raw now as it was then.
“She was the most adorable and beautiful child who didn’t deserve the suffering she had to go through in her short life. Nailah was an absolute fighter and so brave until the end.
“We can’t thank enough the heart surgeons for everything they did to help Nailah.
“However, after Nailah was transferred we felt that some staff were dismissive of our needs and that nobody on any ward rounds or staff handovers really asked us about our child.
“It felt like Nailah’s feeding issues were often put down to milk intolerances rather than the focus being on her medical needs.”
In a statement Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We are very sorry for the experience Nailah’s family had at East Surrey Hospital and our deepest sympathies remain with them at this very difficult time.
“We take any death extremely seriously and as a trust we have already investigated and put in place a thorough action plan to ensure we learn the lessons needed, and importantly, improve our care for future patients.”