A NEWBORN baby died when her overweight mum gave birth down a hospital loo after staff failed to realise she was in labour, an inquest heard.
Diane Thomas, 41, was a month off her due date but medical staff did not spot she was about to have the baby when she went to hospital complaining of stomach cramps.
She went to the toilet before going to have an ultrasound, but was stunned when she gave birth to her daughter down the toilet.
An inquest heard she had been in the cubical for around 15 minutes when she gave birth to Ellie Nicholls at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
She told the hearing: “It was a bad shock, like it was all a dream”.
Doctors said the baby had been initially stuck in the toilet and had then survived “for a few minutes” but resuscitation efforts failed.
The gestation period was believed to have been between 31 and 33 weeks.
Expert paediatrician Professor Peter Fleming told the inquest in Truro there was a chance Ellie could have survived if her mum had been on a labour suite.
But he said she had suffered a “very severe infection” so this was unlikely.
The inquest was told doctors suspected Diane was experiencing a miscarriage when she reported suffering bad stomach cramps for two days.
The hospital said a review is under way.
Verdict: Natural causes
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