Cause of baby's death 'unascertained' after formal inquest

Cause of death and inquest finding

The inquest into the death of 10‑day‑old Lottie Kim James‑Howard concluded that the precise medical cause of her death was recorded as “unascertained”. The coroner issued a narrative conclusion, explaining that available medical evidence did not allow a clear determination of exactly how Lottie died.

Circumstances of Lottie's death

Lottie, who was born prematurely, was found unresponsive at home in Gipton on 23 December 2023 and later declared dead at Leeds General Infirmary. Her mother, Jersey Leigh James, discovered her condition after waking and she was taken to hospital, where attempts to save her were unsuccessful.

Group B strep and antibiotic issues

During pregnancy, Ms James tested positive for Group B streptococcus and received conflicting advice from healthcare staff about whether she needed antibiotics. Guidance presented at the inquest indicated she should have been given antibiotics in labour to reduce transmission risk, but this did not happen and the trust could not explain why.

Medical staff stated that although Lottie later received a full course of antibiotics after birth, she was born too early for this treatment to be effective in preventing infection around delivery. An internal review by Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust described the failure to give antibiotics during labour as suboptimal care and the trust apologised to the family.

Role of Group B strep in the death

Despite concerns, the coroner highlighted pathologists’ “unequivocal” evidence that Group B strep did not contribute to Lottie’s death. Ms James nevertheless continues to question whether her daughter might have survived had she received antibiotics at the appropriate time in labour.

Identified risk factors and co‑sleeping

Pathologists pointed to several possible risk factors, including Lottie’s very young age, her premature birth, and potential genetic vulnerabilities. They also noted that Lottie had been co‑sleeping with her mother the night before she was found unresponsive, which was treated as another risk factor rather than a proven cause.

A forensic pathologist told the inquest that it was not possible to determine with certainty the exact circumstances leading to Lottie’s death. Because no single mechanism could be clearly identified, the cause remained officially “unascertained”.

Family concerns and hospital response

Lottie’s family criticised aspects of the maternity and postnatal care provided by Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. They said the conflicting information given to Ms James left her feeling that her vulnerability as a young mother was sometimes dismissed and increased her anxiety around decisions in pregnancy and after birth.

Hospital statement

Senior figures at the trust, including the chief medical officer, expressed regret for the failings identified during the inquest. They acknowledged that inconsistent medical advice and delays around antibiotic treatment caused additional distress to the family and publicly apologised.

“We understand that the conflicting medical advice and the delay in antibiotic administration caused unnecessary distress for the family. We sincerely apologize for this.”

Author's summary

The inquest left Lottie’s exact cause of death unresolved, but exposed serious communication and treatment failings that deepened her family’s grief and raised lasting questions about perinatal safety.

BBC on MSN — 2025-11-28