Danielle Brown, 31, was seven months pregnant when she was first discharged from hospital with pre-eclampsia, a potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication, according to The Guardian. She returned days later, when scans revealed her daughter, Maisie, had died.
Brown, from North Shields in north-east England, said she was devastated to return home knowing the baby she was carrying was no longer alive. She said that when Maisie's death was confirmed she and her partner burst into tears. She said she was given a booklet for bereaved parents and told to book a slot to give birth. She said being told this with no compassion angered her.
Brown and her partner, Anthony Miller, were expecting a baby when, seven months into the pregnancy in February 2023, she fell ill and was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. Monitoring by doctors at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle had also raised concerns about Maisie's heart rate. A consultant obstetrician said Brown should remain in hospital until she gave birth, but she was discharged 24 hours later on 14 February after a review by a different consultant. A day later she phoned the maternity assessment unit with more concerns but was told she probably had a stomach bug. She insisted on being seen, and medics could not find Maisie's heartbeat.
Brown spoke after receiving an undisclosed settlement from Newcastle upon Tyne hospitals NHS foundation trust, which admitted a breach of duty and that Maisie would have survived had her mother not been sent home during her first admission.