A two-month-old British infant died after doctors mistook symptoms of a suspected perforated bowel for a cow’s milk intolerance, the post-mortem finding that Nailah Ally died from multiple organ failure caused by necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a serious illness where the gut becomes inflamed and starts to die.
Nailah was diagnosed with a hole in the heart before she was born and NEC shortly after birth in October 2019, reports The Telegraph. She was admitted to East Surrey Hospital on 28 December but continued to have a swollen stomach, and received treatment for suspected sepsis.
However, doctors did not perform a barium enema to highlight the large bowel so it can be clearly seen on an X-ray, to check if her intestine could have narrowed because of damage caused by NEC.
A consultant believed Nailah might have an intolerance to cow’s milk and changed the formula she was being fed.
The next day, Nailah went into septic shock and an X-ray showed a suspected perforated bowel. Her condition worsened and she died on 13 January.
Her parents instructed lawyers to investigate her care under Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. While the trust has paid an undisclosed out-of-court settlement to Nailah’s parents to help them access specialist support after her death, it did not admit liability.
A spokesman said: “The past few years and coming to terms with Nailah’s death has understandably been incredibly traumatic for her patents, and the case not only vividly highlights the dangers of sepsis, but the potential consequences of poor communication between doctors as well as between doctors and families.”
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We are very sorry for the experience Nailah’s family had at East Surrey Hospital and our deepest sympathies remain with them.
“We take any death extremely seriously and as a trust we have already investigated and put in place a thorough action plan to ensure we learn the lessons needed, and importantly, improve our care for future patients.”
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