A couple whose baby died after being in the care of an NHS trust that was under review were made to feel “insignificant” and like they “don’t have a voice”.
Adaora, the daughter of Ama Maduako and Sharma Thomas, died on 25 January this year, almost five months after being born at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham.
Her death is forming part of an independent review of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which manages QMC.
Ms Thomas, 23, who previously worked as a private community healthcare assistant, said: “It’s opened my eyes a bit because I never thought that people that work in a profession where they’re working with such vulnerable people, babies, I just never thought that people would be capable of acting the way that they do.
“It’s just a shock because I would never do that personally, myself.
“I’ve got my own children now, but even before I had my own children, I was caring for someone else’s child.
“It never would have never crossed my mind to treat a child or just treat that family in a certain way that makes them feel like they don’t have a voice or makes them feel bullied or insignificant, or make them feel like they’re doing something wrong or they can’t look after their child.”
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Adaora, and her twin brother Zikora, were born 25 weeks and one day into Ms Thomas’s pregnancy on 5 September 2022, having not experienced any problems up until then – but both babies were placed on ventilators after being told their lungs were bleeding.
Mr Maduako, a 26-year-old medical salesman, also alleged Adaora had damage to her eyes and ears as a result of equipment being applied wrong, adding they watched her heart rate flatline three times because the ventilator did not provide pressure.
He also said their concerns were dismissed or seen as being resistant to treatment – which they deny.
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While Zikora celebrates his first birthday on Tuesday, his sister never made it out of QMC.
The parents claim said Adaora’s death was put down as pulmonary hypertension, combined with the effects of COVID by the hospital, but claim a post-mortem carried out showed no evidence of COVID, and instead found damage to her lungs.
Michelle Rhodes, chief nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals said: “We offer our deepest condolences to Sharma Thomas and Ama Maduako for the loss of Adaora.
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“We want to assure Sharma and Ama that we have heard the concerns that they have raised and are committed to working with them to review each of the concerns and respond in a way that best meets their needs.”
More than 1,700 cases of possible harm to newborn babies and mothers are being examined at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust over a 10-year period.
The investigation is led by midwife Donna Ockenden, who led a similar review into maternity care at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. In 2022, she concluded that catastrophic failures there may have led to the deaths of more than 200 babies.
