Inquest told of delay in realising premature baby’s breathing tube dislodged

There was a delay before staff realised the tube was displaced, by which time Summer Hawcroft, who only weighed two pounds and two ounces at birth, had been starved of oxygen.

She suffered respiratory problems and was transferred from Barnsley District General Hospital to a specialist unit in Sheffield, but later died when she was just 49 days old.

Pathologist Dr Mudher Al-Adnani told the Sheffield hearing that Summer died from a brain injury, which appeared to have developed after the tube attached to the ventilator became dislodged.

Summer was born prematurely after 27 weeks gestation on April 23 last year.

She was the seventh child of builder Stephen Hawcroft, 37, and his wife Michaela, 26, of Kendray, Barnsley.

Paediatric registrar Dr Ash Kale said the baby needed resuscitation and was placed on a ventilator. He failed three times to insert a 2.5mm tube down Summer’s trachea to help with her breathing and had to use a smaller 2mm tube.

An independent expert who investigated the case said he found it “puzzling” why staff had been unable to use the larger tube, which opens up the airways further.

Dr Kale said as the baby was put on the ventilator he got a “crash call” to help with another sick baby in the unit but claimed it did not affect his management of Summer.

“She had difficulties because of the immaturity of the lungs and kidneys but was making progress and going in the right direction,” he said.

But a week later Summer’s condition had deteriorated.

Then, in the early hours of May 4, the breathing tube became displaced.

Dr Al-Adnani said his post-mortem report made after Summer died on June 11, that the aftermath of the brain damage was “quite extensive and widespread” and it was consistent with the breathing tube being dislodged.

The hearing continues.