£6.5million for brain damage at birth

A boy who suffered brain damage when midwives sent him home despite blood tests showing he had “dangerously low” blood sugar levels at birth has been awarded £6.5 million to fund his future care. He was born following a normal pregnancy but, concerned about his small size and how much he was feeding, his mother asked the midwives for help and guidance. Blood tests quickly revealed that he was suffering from neonatal hypoglycaemia - low blood sugar levels – but, despite the worrying diagnosis, the test results were not acted upon and the newborn was sent home where his condition deteriorated. The delay left him with irreversible brain damage, severe visual impairment and learning difficulties. The NHS Trust made an early admission of fault in the case.