NHS trust fined £1.6m over failings in baby deaths – BBC News
‘An NHS trust has been fined £1.6m for “avoidable failings” connected to the deaths of three babies in 2021.’
BBC News, 12th February 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: birth
An update on the law of infanticide: a review of cases over the past 20 years by the Cambridge Pro-Bono Project – Doughty Street Chambers
‘Under Section 1(1) of the Infanticide Act 1938 a woman may be charged with infanticide or raise it as a defence to murder under Section 1(2). It is a significant piece of legislation that can only be committed by a woman against her biological child which must be under 12 months old, and arises in circumstances where she is accused of causing the death of the infant by wilful act or omission at a time when the “the balance of her mind was disturbed by reason of her not having fully recovered from the effect of giving birth to the child or by reason of the effect of lactation consequent upon the birth of the child.”’
Doughty Street Chambers, 11th October 2024
Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk
Coventry student who hid baby in cereal box convicted of murder – The Guardian
‘A Coventry University student who concealed her newborn baby in a cereal box hidden inside a suitcase after giving birth on her bathroom floor has been convicted of murder.’
The Guardian, 24th October 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Half of NHS maternity units slammed by CQC as inadequate or ‘requires improvement’ – The Independent
‘Nearly half of NHS maternity units in England have been rated as inadequate or requiring improvement, according to the findings of inspections by the healthcare watchdog.’
The Independent, 19th September 2024
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Lucy Letby inquiry should be postponed or changed, experts say – The Guardian
‘A group including some of the UK’s leading neonatal experts and professors of statistics is calling on the government to postpone or change the terms of a public inquiry over concerns about the conviction of the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby.’
The Guardian, 27th August 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
UK sperm donations being exported despite 10-family limit – The Guardian
‘Sperm donated in the UK is being exported and can be used to create large numbers of children across multiple countries, contradicting a strict 10-family limit that applies in the UK, experts warn.’
The Guardian, 18th August 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Mother died after neglect by hospital – coroner – BBC News
‘The death of a mother at the hospital where she gave birth to her fifth baby was “avoidable and contributed to by neglect”, a coroner has ruled.’
BBC News, 12th August 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Babies died after hospital neglect – inquest jury – BBC News
‘Two premature babies died within weeks of each other after neglect by a hospital, an inquest jury has found.’
BBC News, 22nd July 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Bug-spread baby deaths ‘could have been prevented’ – BBC News
‘Two babies died on a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit during a bacterial outbreak which could have been prevented, the BBC has learned.’
BBC News, 16th July 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon found guilty of two charges – The Guardian
‘Constance Marten and her partner, Mark Gordon, have been found guilty of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice after the body of their baby daughter was found following a high-profile search, it can now be reported.’
The Guardian, 26th June 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Home Office’s failure to collect and monitor data on asylum accommodation for pregnant and new mothers held to be unlawful – Landmark Chambers
‘The High Court’s decision in DXK v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2024] EWHC 579 (Admin) is a welcome addition to the growing body of case law concerning the ambit and application of asylum support duties. The Court’s findings on academic claims, standing, systemic challenges, and the public sector equality duty (“PSED”) will be of wider practical application in other public law contexts.’
Landmark Chambers, 13th May 2024
Source: www.landmarkchambers.co.uk
Woman left with stoma after traumatic birth – BBC News
‘A woman has been awarded more than £500,000 in compensation after childbirth left her with a permanent stoma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).’
BBC News, 24th May 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Legal parenthood in surrogacy: shifting the focus to the surrogate’s negative intention – Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law
‘This paper examines how legal parenthood should be allocated in surrogacy under English law. I argue that we need to shift the focus of the discussion to the surrogate’s negative intention to not be a parent as the key to move away from the current gestational model of motherhood. This has three main benefits that are explored in this paper. First, it respects surrogates’ voices and construes them in terms of their autonomy and agency, rather than solely in terms of their vulnerability. Second, it provides a conceptually robust basis for recognising legal parenthood of the intended parents at birth, since the surrogate’s negative intention is construed as the trigger for the application of specialised rules on parenthood. Third, it serves as a guiding principle in developing appropriate and comprehensive protections for the surrogate, including recognising the intended parents as the legal parents at birth, the parameters of the surrogate’s right to withdraw consent, and further safeguarding requirements and checks before entering into a surrogacy agreement. Overall, focusing on the surrogate’s negative intention allows us to view surrogacy in a nuanced way, away from false dichotomies, and contributes to a more compelling case in favour of actively facilitating surrogacy.’
Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 30th April 2024
Source: www.tandfonline.com
Royal Derby Hospital: ‘Shortcomings’ led to newborn baby’s death – BBC News
‘A baby boy who died a day after being born would have lived had he received adequate hospital care, an inquest has heard.’
BBC News, 4th April 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Woman whose baby was stillborn in HMP Styal praises sentencing changes – The Guardian
‘A former prisoner who gave birth to a stillborn baby in a jail toilet has welcomed changes that campaigners hope will reduce the number of pregnant women locked up, as a “legacy” for the daughter she lost.’
The Guardian, 18th March 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Total failures’ in care of baby boy who lived for 14 hours – BBC News
‘A baby boy who lived just 14 hours died after “total and complete failures” in his care, an inquest has found.’
BBC News, 12th March 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Man who mixed own sperm with dad’s will not have to take paternity test – The Guardian
‘A man who mixed his sperm with his father’s to help get his partner pregnant will not be forced to take a paternity test, the high court has ruled.’
The Guardian, 15th February 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Pelvic mesh compensation disappointingly low, says victim – BBC News
‘A woman who described the time in her life after a pelvic mesh implant as “soul destroying” said proposed government compensation was “disappointingly low”.’
BBC News, 15th February 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Mesh and sodium valproate scandal victims need payouts soon, report says – BBC News
‘Families of children left disabled by an epilepsy drug and women injured by pelvic mesh implants should be given urgent financial help, England’s patient safety commissioner has said.’
BBC News, 7th February 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
