Heartbroken County Durham couple whose 'miracle' baby son died at Newcastle RVI at just 2 days old call for investigation; County Durham couple Melissa Ayton and Thomas Hind saw infant son Jacob die at just two days old.
Byline: By, Sam Volpe
Joy turned to heartbreak in just days for a County Durham couple whose "miracle" IVF baby died at just two days old.
Melissa Ayton, 26, and Thomas HInd, 27, have spoken of their devastating experience during this year's Baby Loss Awareness Week, and have also instructed lawyers to investigate the care Melissa and tragic baby Jacob received at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.
Jacob was born on November 1, 2021. Melissa and Thomas had headed for the RVI when, despite being just 26 weeks along, Melissa started to experience bleeding and abdominal cramps.
When they got to hospital, doctors said Melissa was in labour. After scans, Jacob was found to be in a "breach" position, meaning he would be born in the wrong position.
Relaying what happened, the couple's lawyers at Irwin Mitchell said doctors made the decision to proceed with a natural birth, but when Melissa's waters broke it and it became clear that the umbilical cord was wrapped around baby Jacob's leg, she then underwent an emergency surgical delivery.
Jacob was not breathing when he was born, and though he was resuscitated and taken to neo-natal intensive care, his health continued to deteriorate. He died at 7pm on 3 November and tests found he had suffered a bleed on the brain and had been starved of oxygen, lawyers said.
Melissa said: "Jacob was our miracle baby, we were so lucky to be pregnant after our first round of IVF. We were so excited for our future. Whilst slightly nervous given Jacob was an IVF baby, my pregnancy seemed to be progressing well and no concerns were raised at any of my appointments. Seeing Jacob so poorly in hospital broke our hearts and is something that will stay with us forever."
Hospital bosses have apologised for the "pain and grief" the couple have been through and sent their condolences, but are unable to comment further given the ongoing legal case.
The couple -and Jacob -were supported by charities Team Evie, 4Louis and the RVI's own counselling service. Team Evie delivered a "cuddle-cot" which enabled the family to take Jacob home following his death, while 4Louis helped by giving the couple a memory box for Jacob.
The couple have now had a second child, Sofia, and spoke about how the trauma of what happened to Jacob had affected the second pregnancy. Melissa added: "After everything that happened, we were both really nervous through my pregnancy with Sofia. It was such a relief when we welcomed her into the world but also...
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