Woman who killed baby ‘needed help’

Natasha Sultan went to her doctor, feeling tearful and exhausted, and was prescribed anti-depressants, but took just one pill because of the stigma she felt was attached to them.

A court heard last year that Miss Sultan, who was sentenced to a three-year supervision order after admitting infanticide, inflicted fatal head injuries on the child in a “maelstrom of fatigue and mental disorder”.

A serious case review, examining the circumstances of the case and the part played by health professionals, found they could not have anticipated or prevented the tragedy. But it said symptoms of post-natal depression, although relatively common and mild, should not be underestimated “and should be a trigger factor for the offer of additional support”.

In Miss Sultan’s case the GP had not been aware that she had only taken one tablet because she was not asked to return for a follow-up and the GP did not contact the health visitor to get in touch with her.

The Government recently announced that mental health midwives would be posted at every maternity unit by 2017 to identify and support women with post-natal depression.

The report by Professor Pat Cantrill concluded: “Her post natal depression and the GP’s knowledge of her history, the child and family health problems should have resulted in her being referred to the midwife or health visitor who would have provided additional support which may have assisted in safeguarding the child.

“However if the action had been taken it is unlikely to have either anticipated or prevented the death of the child.”

The report makes four recommendations including offering “safeguarding children” training to health workers and recording and sharing information about the roles of “significant” individuals in a household.