'We knew something was wrong before our baby died'

The parents of a baby who died at five days old say they are "devastated and angry" after they believe warning signs were missed before their daughter was born.

Olivia Trupiano was born by emergency caesarean section at 34 weeks on 14 September 2024 at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, Sussex.

Her mother Kimberley Newark said she went to hospital in "excruciating pain" before her daughter was born but claims she was told she had "trapped wind". It turned out she was bleeding internally.

A University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust spokesperson said two reviews of Olivia's care had been carried out and they were "desperately sorry" for her loss.

Olivia was born with severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.

The condition occurs in a baby when the brain does not receive enough oxygen or blood flow at around the time of birth.

According to the family's solicitors Slater and Gordon, doctors discovered that Kimberley had suffered a rupture of a major blood vessel causing internal bleeding leading to her losing an estimated 14 litres (24 pints) of blood.

A coroner's court has previously been told the family had concerns about the timing of the diagnosis of the ruptured artery.

At a pre-inquest review the coroner, Joanne Andrews, said she had reasons to suspect Olivia's death was "unnatural" and was therefore under an obligation to hold an inquest.

Kimberley said: "I went to the hospital because I had fainted, was weak, dizzy and in excruciating pain, pain I knew was not normal.

"They told me I had trapped wind. My pain never subsided and it turned out I was bleeding internally."

She said she and her partner repeatedly raised concerns about her worsening health but they felt "ignored and dismissed".

Following emergency surgery, Kimberley was placed in a coma.

Both mother and baby were transferred to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton but Olivia passed away on September 19.

"I still feel guilt. I never got to read to her, I never got to sing to her, I never got to hold her properly," Kimberley said.

Her partner, Yann Trupiano said he had been told to go home overnight and come back in the morning, and he believed that Kimberley was in safe hands.

"Shortly after I left, I was called to say she was having an emergency caesarean and she was in a critical condition," he said.

Up to fifteen families are calling for an inquiry into maternity care in University Hospitals Sussex which runs hospitals in Brighton, Worthing, Haywards Heath and Chichester.

The families, who all lost babies at the trust, have been promised a review by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Every family who has lost a baby deserves answers, and we are determined to ensure they get them.

"We are actively working with families in Sussex to appoint a chair and agree terms of reference for this vital review."

Dr Maggie Davies, chief nurse at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are desperately sorry for the loss of Olivia, and the trauma and grief we know this has caused everyone in the family."

She said the findings of two reviews of Olivia's care had been shared with her family, and the trust had met with them to discuss their questions and concerns.

"But we absolutely understand that nothing we can say can change the intense sense of loss they feel," she said.

The trust would "do everything it could" to help the coroner address any remaining questions the family had, she added.

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