Jennifer Cahill and her newborn daughter, Agnes Lily, died following a home birth described by a coroner as a 'Victorian-age nightmare'. The 34-year-old international export manager suffered a catastrophic haemorrhage after giving birth at her home in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, on 3 June last year.
Cahill lost five pints of blood—almost half her body's total—due to a tear between her vagina and anus. She went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance and died from multiple organ failure the next day. Agnes was born not breathing with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and died four days later at North Manchester General Hospital.
An inquest at Rochdale Coroner's Court heard that the deaths resulted from 'a catastrophic error and a gross failure to provide basic medical care'. Cahill's pregnancy was considered high-risk because she had suffered a postpartum haemorrhage after her first child in 2021. Despite this, she opted for a home birth after being advised to deliver in hospital.
The court heard that Cahill was not properly informed of the risks of home birth. Expert midwife Abigail Holmes told the inquest that 'there were no meaningful conversations' about the dangers, including the risk of death. 'A woman can only make an informed decision if she has been informed,' Holmes said.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has admitted that Cahill should have been referred to a senior midwife to discuss risks. The inquest also heard that the two community midwives attending the birth had worked 12-hour shifts and been awake for over 30 hours. Vital notes, including blood pressure readings and the baby's heart rate, were not properly recorded.
