‘If nurses told me C-section could be fatal I’d have never risked daughter’s life’

A couple whose six-day-old daughter's death sparked a national reform of maternity care say it will “change lives”.

Mabel Williams suffered a fatal brain injury after her mum, Becky Williams, suffered an undiagnosed uterine rupture during labor at Great Western Hospital in Swindon in September 2023.

Mrs Williams chose a vaginal birth for Mabel after a Caesarean section to her previous baby, but the hospital failed to warn her of the potentially life-threatening risks to both of them if her uterus ruptured, an inquest found in August.

“If I had been told those words, ‘this could be fatal,’ I would never have risked my daughter’s life. This simple truth could have saved Mabel,” Ms. Williams said.

At an inquest in August, a coroner ruled that neglect contributed to Mabel's death and was preventable, and warned that pregnant women are not being sufficiently warned about the fatal risks of vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC).

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said it was updating the VBAC information leaflet used by hospital trusts in the UK to include information about the risks of uterine rupture after a coroner said there was a “lack of clarity”.

Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said it would give parents better access to information “to help them make informed decisions about their birth choices”.

Coroner Robert Sowersby commissioned two reports on preventing future deaths for the hospital and King's College in September to address their recommendations.

King's College said it had responded to Mr Sowersby and the trust, which has until November 5 to respond.

Since Mabel died on September 10, 2023, at Bristol Children's Hospital, Ms Williams said she had spoken to dozens of mums who had similar experiences and wanted to make sure it “never happens again”.

“Mabel's life was short, but her impact can be lasting,” she said.

Ms Williams said she was worried about Mabel's birth and decided to have a VBAC because hospital staff said the risk was “low”.

“We live every day knowing that Mabel should be here. We did everything we could to protect her,” she said.

“We asked questions, I voiced my concerns. But the truth was hidden in medical language, which made it safe.

“We trusted the professionals.

“But the information we were given was incomplete and warning signs during labor were missed.

“Mabel’s death could have been prevented. I was never told that a uterine rupture could kill my baby or be potentially fatal for me too.”

The 35-year-old said she wants to ensure safer care for pregnant women.

“I think it's incredible that while we may have lost our little girl, we potentially, through the coroner, saved some other families from what we had to go through.

“This is like a little inheritance for Mabel.”

The coroner also said the midwives “failed to recognize the multiple signs of Mabel's distress and the increasing severity of Becky's clinical condition and communicate these to the clinical team.”

Her husband and Mabel's father, Tom Williams, said the six days of Mabel's life were “the hardest thing anyone could ever go through.”

“We had one day to let the family come and meet her and spend some time with her and read the stories,” he said.

“Just like our parents met their granddaughter, and that’s it. Just one day.”

A spokesman for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it “sincerely regrets that Mabel and her mother were not provided with the level of personalized, compassionate and safe care that was required.”

They added they had “learned their lessons” and “acted on” the concerns raised by the couple and the coroner.

Professor Rani Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said: “It is vital that maternity teams support women to make informed choices about how to give birth, including ensuring that the risks and benefits of different birth methods are fully discussed throughout their pregnancy.

“Our clinical guidelines, consent guidelines, patient information, and our training and education programs are all designed to help birth teams do this well.

“We follow a rigorous process to develop them with input from clinicians and the public.”

A Royal College spokesman said anyone with concerns should “contact their medical team, who will be able to provide advice taking into account their individual medical history.”