University College London Hospital
(Picture: Getty Images)A London hospital has improved advice it issues to parents of newborns following the sudden death of a baby who had been carried in a fabric sling by his mother.
Toby Barwick was born early at 37 weeks at University College London Hospital (UCLH) in November 2020.
He weighed in at 2.1kg, well beneath the 2.5kg threshold World Health Organisation considers a “low birth weight”.
Premature and underweight babies have a higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) - where an apparently otherwise healthy baby dies suddenly - and it is not advised that these infants be put into a sling or baby carrier.
But despite Toby being at higher risk of the condition, his parents were given no advice when they were discharged from UCLH.
Toby’s mother Briony told an inquest into his death that she had only received “overwhelmingly positive” advice about using slings and had received no information about the dangers associated with them.
UCLH says it has now made “improvements” to advice given to families, including information about babies with low birth weight and the use of slings.
On February 12, 2021, Mrs Barwick walked to her sister’s house while carrying Toby, who was two-and-a-half-months, on her chest using a fabric baby sling.
Arriving at her sister’s home around 1pm, Mrs Barwick found Toby was sleeping.
She allowed him to take a nap in the sling while she sat on the sofa chatting to her sister.
But around 45 minutes later, she tragically found Toby was unresponsive.
Shouting for help, she removed him from the sling.
Emergency services were called and Toby’s family began CPR, which was taken over by paramedics when they arrived.
Toby was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital, but medics later decided further attempts to rescucitate him would be “futile”, and he was pronounced dead around 3.45pm.
A post-mortem failed to establish the cause of his death, ruling it ‘unascertained’.
Mrs Barwick told the three-day inquest she believed her son “would still be here” had she been warned of the risks associated with slings.
“If I had read [NHS] guidance then I truly believe that my baby would still be here. I wish to God I had taken on board the messaging that [slings] could be fatal,” she said, according to the BBC.
Graeme Irvine, senior coroner for east London, has now written to both the CEO of UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, calling for parents of newborns with low birth weights to be issued with guidance on how to care for them.
”In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken,” wrote Mr Irvine.
“The inquest heard that infants of low birth weight have a higher chance of dying in circumstances of SIDS.
“Upon discharge from a maternity unit mother should receive advice and documentation upon a number of issues including - but not limited to - SIDS and recommended safe practices to reduce risk.
“Mr and Mrs Barwick did not receive this material at UCLH.
“UCLH could not provide clear evidence that the factors that led to this omission had been successfully remedied.”
Addressing the hospitals trust, Mr Irvine said: “In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action.”
UCLH NHS Foundation Trust - where over 6,000 babies are born each year - told the Standard it has made improvements to advice, following Toby’s death.
“We send our deepest condolences to baby Toby’s family at this sad and difficult time,” said a Trust spokesperson.
“We are reviewing the coroner’s findings in detail and will act upon the recommendations made.
“We have already made improvements to the education we give to families which includes information about babies with low birth weight and the use of slings.
“We would like to thank Toby’s family for supporting this work and learning has been shared locally and nationally to help improve awareness.”
The Department of Health and Social Care declined to comment until it has responded to Mr Irvine’s report.
The NHS provides advice on reducing the risk of SIDS, while charity The Lullaby Trust offers guidance on how to safely use a sling or baby-carrier.
