A mother blamed herself for her baby’s death for a decade. Now the hospital has admitted it made fatal errors

For a decade after her baby Kaiden was stillborn, Hayley Brunt blamed herself for the child’s death.

The “deep grief” in believing she had been to blame for her baby’s death sent Hayley’s mental health into a spiral so bad she made multiple attempts to take her life, and caused her extreme anxiety during later pregnancies.

Now Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has admitted that its own mistakes led to the death of Kaiden in 2013.

Ms Brunt, 27, is one of almost 2,000 families whose maternity care will be scrutinised by an inquiry led by Donna Ockenden. The probe was launched by Sajid Javid, then the secretary of state for health and social care, after The Independent revealed in 2021 that dozens of babies and mothers had been harmed as a result of poor care by NUH services.

The trust is also facing a criminal investigation into alleged failings in its maternity care.

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Speaking with The Independent, Hayley – who has since had three more children – said that shortly after Kaiden’s funeral she was told by a hospital doctor that his death had been due to her placenta “not working”.

“This led to me blaming myself and my body for what happened to him. The inconsolable grief for Kaiden’s loss and the blame I felt caused my mental health to spiral. I began suffering awful nightmares about Kaiden and his delivery, which continue today. I became so depressed and low that it led to me making a number of attempts to end my life.

“I have had more children since Kaiden’s death, and each of the pregnancies has been plagued with anxiety and fear that history will repeat itself,” she said.

In January 2013, when she was just 15 years old, Hayley reported experiencing reduced foetal movements to the staff at NUH, but was told it was nothing to worry about.

A month later she reported bleeding, which led to a two-night hospital admission, but again staff gave assurances that everything was OK with her baby’s health.

She raised concerns over her baby’s lack of movement a second and third time, in March and April that year, but was sent away with assurances that her baby was not in danger.

She told The Independent that, at the time, she felt that the midwives and doctors dismissed her concerns because of her young age.

Just one week from her due date, Hayley came into the hospital again with similar concerns, but she was sent home a fourth time after a heart rate scan, called a CTG, was carried out.

On 24 April, following a scheduled growth scan, doctors told Ms Brunt that Kaiden had died and that she would have to undergo labour.

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In December 2022, after Ms Ockenden was appointed to chair the Nottingham maternity inquiry, Ms Brunt received a letter revealing that Kaiden’s death was to be included in the investigation.

After she pursued a legal claim, led by firm Leigh Day, it came to light that the trust had not only failed to follow guidance on reduced foetal movements but had carried out an investigation into Kaiden’s stillbirth without informing Hayley or her parents. This investigation did not identify any failings by the hospital.

However, after the inquiry began, the trust reviewed her case and found that, had Hayley been offered an induction of labour sooner, Kaiden’s death would have been avoided.

“When I heard the hospital had admitted liability for Kaiden’s death, I was absolutely devastated. Life has been unbelievably hard this past decade, and so much of what I’ve been through stems from the trauma and grief of losing my baby when I was so young.

“If I had known that his death could have been avoided back then, I wouldn’t have spent the past 10 years blaming myself for what happened,” Ms Brunt told The Independent.

Leigh Day solicitor Adam Lamb, who represents Hayley, said:  “The loss of baby Kaiden was entirely avoidable and has had a devastating impact on my client’s life.  Hayley was already vulnerable and considered high risk due to her young age, but staff dismissed her concerns.

“Baby Kaiden died in 2013 and it wasn’t until late 2022 that Hayley was informed an independent investigation into her maternity care and Kaiden’s stillbirth was taking place.  We are pleased the trust has admitted responsibility for Kaiden’s stillbirth and we look forward to working with them to conclude the case.

“While nothing can truly make up for what Hayley has gone through, we hope that this admission from the trust can help ease the blame that she has put on herself in the years since Kaiden’s sad death.” 

Tracy Pilcher, chief nurse at NUH, said: “I would like to apologise to Hayley for mistakes made during the birth of her baby, and that the details of the subsequent investigation into his death were not shared with her at the time.”

She said the trust is committed to making improvements and that families are now provided with information on the investigation process.

The Sands national helpline provides support for anyone affected by the death of a baby. You can call 0808 164 3332 free of charge, or email helpline@sands.org.uk

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you