Specialist unit care may have saved premature baby

A premature baby would have had a better chance of surviving at a specialist unit, health officials have accepted.

Reece Yates died at Wrexham Maelor Hospital in April last year after being delivered 10 weeks early.

An inquest at Ruthin concluded that the infant died of natural causes.

His parents Darren and Melissa Yates said they hoped other babies "can live on" through the lessons learned through their tragedy.

The inquest on Tuesday heard the unborn child's condition had started to deteriorate when his mother's waters broke at 20 weeks. Reece was born 10 weeks later.

Reece's parents Darren and Melissa Yates said they had been given the impression that if he had been born at Arrowe Park specialist neonatal unit in Wirral, there was every chance the baby would have survived.

Dr Nick Nelhans, clinical director of paediatric services at the Wrexham hospital, said: "We can never know."

But the doctor said communications between paediatricians and obstetricians had improved since the death.

Patricia Gaskell, solicitor for the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, added: "The health board's position is Reece's chances of survival would have been better if he had been born at an alternative unit.

"That is something the board does stand by."

Coroner John Gittins said: "Things could have been better in terms of the outcome and steps have been taken by the health board to address those issues."

In a statement after the inquest, the baby's parents said they were in "no doubt" that the care their child received in Wrexham was "the very best that could have been given" on that day.

The couple said they welcomed recommendations made by the health board following Reece's death.

"We thank the doctors who treated Reece with such skill for their professionalism and care," they added.