Baby died after NHS trust failed to warn mother of unsafe' home birth, coroner finds

"The senior coroner Andrew Walker stated that the Royal Free London NHS foundation trust had agreed to support Poppy's mother with an unsafe home delivery that was against medical advice and had failed to address an accumulation of risk factors."

"Gemma Lomas expressed, 'Nothing will ever bring her back, but hearing the truth today acknowledged means everything to us. We trusted the professionals who were guiding us.'"

"Lomas stated, 'I was encouraged to do what we did. I would have never made decisions to harm myself or my baby in any capacity.'"

"Experts have indicated that mothers must be given clearer warnings on the potentially fatal dangers of giving birth at home, especially for those with previous caesarean sections."

Poppy Hope Lomas died at seven days old due to complications from an unsafe home birth encouraged by midwives, despite medical advice against it. An inquest revealed she likely suffered from a lack of oxygen before birth. The coroner criticized the Royal Free London NHS foundation trust for not addressing risk factors. Gemma Lomas expressed her grief and emphasized the need for lessons to be learned. Guidance suggests that vaginal births after caesarean should occur in properly equipped facilities, underscoring the risks of home births for non-low-risk pregnancies.

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