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ARTICLE · 02 NOVEMBER 2026

Baby Loss Awareness Week

Irwin Mitchell
Irwin Mitchell
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Irwin Mitchell

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United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration

Investigation identifies issues with hospital monitoring equipment and emergency care 

A baby was pronounced stillborn after a monitoring machine's alarm had been switched to silent and a pathological heart rate reading went unrecognised, an investigation found.

Bethany Sowerby, 32, attended The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough after becoming concerned about her baby's movements while 38 weeks pregnant. Bethany was dropped off at the hospital by her mother-in-law.

Staff started electronic monitoring of the baby’s heart rate while they attended to other patients. Around 30 minutes later Bethany noticed the machine had suffered a paper jam. Staff struggled to find a heart rate and Bethany was transferred to the delivery suite.

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