Newborn baby ‘landed on floor’ and fractured skull as mum gave birth in Sheffield hospital toilet

Huda Al Jarad, 24, who lives in Darnall, was in labour at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital on Tuesday, February 25 when she was left alone in a toilet. Her labour then progressed and her baby son Karm was born and “landed on the floor”.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Shahd Salha said: “The nurse came and took the baby from the floor and helped the mum into bed.

“They put the baby on his bed uncleaned and undressed. The mum was in her bed uncleaned and left in the room.”

Huda’s husband Wissam arrived at the Hospital shortly after the birth.

“He saw his baby on the bed uncleaned and his wife in the bed with blood on it,” said Salha.

“His wife was just left there.”

When Wissam found out what happened, he immediately told the family’s midwife, who arranged an examination for Karm.

Salha said: “The scan found his skull was broken.

“The family is really frustrated. It’s influencing the mum’s relationship with the baby and the dad can’t sleep.

“He feels it’s discrimination. From the first moment they came into the hospital.”

The family have been living in Sheffield for seven months after fleeing war-torn Syria three years ago.

Salha said: ”If you are serious, why didn’t you provide the family with any information about what happened?

“They called me yesterday [Sunday] because the baby had a temperature. They don’t understand what’s happening. The family is frustrated and not having good English is putting them in a really dangerous situation.

“If the hospital know something really serious has happened they have to support the family. This family is vulnerable and the hospital know that.

“Wissam told me: ‘They stole my happiness on the day my baby was born.’”

“This young family was really happy about the pregnancy and they ended up in a tragedy. It’s medical errors or something else.

“They have enough on their plate. They come from a very dangerous society, they don’t need more trauma. These people are really sensitive.”

Chris Morley from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are very sorry that there has been some aspects of Mrs Al Jarad’s care which were not as we would have expected.

“Mrs Al Jarad was being cared for by members of the midwifery team in a labour room but when she went into the toilet, her labour progressed and her baby was born and landed on the floor. She did have aftercare and was discharged home with the baby 48 hours later.

“When one of our midwives visited Mrs Al Jarad at home, a bruise on the baby’s head was visible and so arrangements were made to have the baby checked and a scan carried out. Unfortunately this showed there was a small fracture to the side of the baby’s head and bruising.

The Trust said they are carrying out a “full review into the circumstances of the birth” and “do not tolerate any form of deliberate discrimination.”