Glangwili baby died after acute blood loss, inquest hears

Ellie and Chris James saidthe pain of losing their son Callum would never heal

A baby whose death was the subject of a damning report died following acute blood loss during his delivery, an inquest heard.

Callum James was born at Glangwilli Hospital, Carmarthen, in May 2016 but only lived for 45 minutes.

The acting senior coroner for Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire recorded a narrative conclusion.

The inquest followed Callum's parents' complaint that they were told he was stillborn before he died in their arms.

In a damning report in 2018, Ombudsman for Wales Nick Bennett highlighted a series of distressing failings, including delays in treatment, which he said meant the couple would "never know" if their son could have survived.

Hywel Dda health board apologised and paid £4,500 in recognition of the distress, delay and uncertainty Ms James experienced.

It also changed Callum's status from "stillborn" to "neonatal death".

During the inquest, acting senior coroner Paul Bennett said Callum "died as a result of hypovolemic shock brought about by an acute and severe loss of blood during his delivery".

He said experts had told the inquest that the haemorrhage "was sudden and acute and, once it had occurred, there was little that could have saved him".

Mr Bennett added: "It cannot be imagined how distraught Mr and Mrs James felt when they were told their baby son had not survived."

The medical cause of death was given as hypovolemic shock and fetal-maternal haemorrhage.