Baby boy left motherless by birth blunders

The mother of a young baby died after a series of failures at an overcrowded London hospital.

Christian Stephens's mother, Violet, 35, waited three days before being given an emergency Caesarean section and then suffered multiple organ failure at Queen's Hospital in Romford. Born at 31 weeks and now 10 months old, Christian is in the care of his aunt, Kitty Mhango, who told the inquest into his mother's death: "I will raise him as my own."

Ms Stephens received a blood transfusion too late, and consultants failed to hand over notes on her past pregnancy problems, Walthamstow coroner's court has heard. The mother of four might have lived if she'd had the Caesarean earlier, the inquest heard. Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust admitted liability. Coroner Chinyere Inyama recorded a narrative verdict.