'new Birth Advice Change Is Our Girl's Lasting Legacy'

A mates whose six-day-old daughter's decease sparked nationalist betterment successful maternity attraction for mothers opportunity it will "change lives".

Mabel Williams suffered fatal encephalon injuries aft her mum, Becky Williams, had an undiagnosed uterine rupture during labour astatine Great Western Hospital, Swindon, successful September 2023.

Mrs Williams chose a vaginal commencement for Mabel, aft having a C-section for a erstwhile child, but was not warned by nan infirmary of nan perchance life-threatening risks for some of them if her uterus ruptured, an inquest heard successful August.

"If those words 'it tin beryllium fatal' had been said to me, I'd ne'er person risked my daughter's life. That elemental truth could person saved Mabel," Mrs Williams said.

In nan inquest successful August, nan coroner ruled neglect contributed to Mabel's death, and was preventable, and warned pregnant women are not being warned capable of nan fatal risks of vaginal commencement aft C-section (VBAC).

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said it is updating a VBAC accusation leaflet, which is utilized by infirmary trusts successful nan UK, to see accusation connected nan risks of uterine rupture aft nan coroner said location was a "lack of clarity".

Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs nan hospital, said it will supply amended entree to accusation for parents "to support them to make informed decisions astir their commencement choices".

The coroner, Robert Sowersby, produced 2 prevention of early deaths reports successful nan September for nan infirmary and nan Royal College to reside their recommendations.

The Royal College said it has responded to Mr Sowersby and nan trust, which has until 5 November to reply.

Since Mabel died connected 10 September 2023 successful Bristol Children's Hospital, Mrs Williams said she has spoken to dozens of mums who person knowledgeable akin cases and wants to make judge it "never happens again".

"Mabel's life was short, but her effect tin beryllium lasting," she said.

Mrs Williams said she was anxious astir giving commencement to Mabel, and chose to person a VBAC because infirmary unit said location was "low risk".

"We unrecorded each time knowing that Mabel should beryllium here. We did everything we could to protect her," she said.

"We asked nan questions, I voiced my fears. But nan truth was hidden successful aesculapian connection that made it sound safe.

"We trusted nan professionals.

"But nan accusation we were fixed was incomplete, and nan informing signs during labour were missed.

"Mabel's decease was preventable. I was ne'er told that a uterine rupture could termination my babe aliases beryllium perchance fatal for maine too."

The 35-year-old said she wants to push for safer maternity attraction for women.

"I deliberation it's unthinkable that whilst we mightiness person mislaid our small girl, perchance we, done nan coroner, person saved immoderate different families from going done what we person to spell through.

"Which for maine is for illustration a small bequest for Mabel."

The coroner besides said midwives "failed to recognise galore indicators of Mabel's distress, and of nan expanding severity of Becky's objective condition, and convey them to nan objective team".

Her hubby and Mabel's father, Tom Williams, said Mabel's six days live were "the hardest point anyone could ever spell through".

"We had 1 time to let family to travel and meet her, walk immoderate clip pinch her and publication stories," he said.

"Just for illustration our parents get to meet their granddaughter, and that was it. Just 1 time of that."

A Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said it is "truly sorry that Mabel and her mother were not fixed nan level of personalised, compassionate, and safe attraction that was needed".

They added they person "learnt lessons" and "acted" connected concerns raised by nan mates and nan coroner.

Professor Ranee Thakar, president of nan Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "It's basal that maternity teams support women to make informed choices astir really to springiness birth, including ensuring that risks and benefits of different modes of commencement are afloat discussed passim their pregnancy.

"Our objective guidelines, consent advice, diligent information, alongside our training and acquisition programmes, are each designed to support maternity teams to do this well.

"We travel a robust process to create these, pinch objective and nationalist involvement."

A spokesperson for nan Royal College said anyone pinch concerns should "contact their healthcare squad who will beryllium capable to springiness proposal while taking into information their individual aesculapian history".