Fear and lack of confidence affected care of mum in tragic home birth death, inquest hears

An inquest revealed that ‘fear’ and a ‘lack of confidence’ among medical staff might have impacted the care of 34-year-old Jennifer Cahill, who tragically died following a complicated home birth in Prestwich. She and her newborn, Agnes, faced severe complications; Agnes was born not breathing and passed away four days later, while Jennifer suffered a postpartum haemorrhage resulting in multi-organ failure. Doctors discussed her previous pregnancy complications, but she believed she was no longer considered high-risk after being referred back to midwifery care. The inquest highlighted issues in communication and a lack of preparedness among attending paramedics, with an internal review indicating they were using outdated systems that didn’t adequately flag the urgency of the situation. There’s a push for more training for paramedics in maternity situations, and a new dedicated home birth team at Wythenshawe has been established to improve care. The inquest continues as the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking case are further examined.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News