Rare condition killed mother hours after death of unborn baby

Lindsay Clift and her husband Darren had gone into New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton in September last year after preparing their Bilston home for the arrival of their first child together.

But tragedy struck when doctors discovered that the couple's daughter, who they had named Katy May, had died. Just a few hours later, 29-year-old Mrs Clift collapsed and died herself.

During an inquest into her death at Smethwick Council House held yesterday the hearing was told that there had been no concerns about the birth.

The hospital's consultant obstetrician David Churchill said: "She was classed as a low-risk pregnancy and there were no risk factors identified."

Mrs Clift, who had married husband Darren in May 2011, was taken into hospital on September 26 last year to be induced, 41 weeks and five days into her pregnancy.

But a midwife raised the alarm after failing to find the baby's heartbeat.

An ultrasound scan confirmed that Katy May was stillborn.

Mrs Clift told medical staff and her husband Darren that she needed to be sick and went to the toilet followed by a midwife, before collapsing shortly afterwards.

Dr Churchill said: "I found her having difficulty breathing."

Despite the efforts of a team who were quickly called to the scene, she was not able to be resuscitated, and died.

Pathologist Adrian Yoong told the hearing that Mrs Clift suffered from amniotic fluid embolism, an extremely rare complication of childbirth where things such as fluid or cells can enter the mother's blood and trigger an allergic reaction.

Dr Churchill agreed, saying he had never seen such a case in his 19-year career. He added: "Obviously the family suffer far more but for the staff to have no indication of any problem, no risk factors, then to be there at the time when someone has a cardiac arrest is obviously quite a distressing thing."

Black Country coroner Robin Balmain recorded a verdict of death from natural causes.

He added: "This is a tragedy for everyone.

"Mrs Clift went into hospital as a low-risk pregnancy and no doubt it had been a very exciting time with the first child.

But unfortunately the baby was dead prior to delivery, and prior to the Caesarean she collapsed.

"I'm satisfied vigorous attempts were made to resuscitate her, which were unfortunately not successful."

Speaking at the time of her death, Mrs Clift's husband Darren described his wife as "beautiful, stunning and warm" and said that she had really wanted a baby "so much".

The couple married in May 2011 at The Mount Hotel in Wolverhampton. The couple first got together in 2005 after meeting at Dudley-based Alan Nuttall Ltd.

Mr Clift also said at the time of his wife's death: "She seemed to just pass out.

"To my mind, once Katy May had gone it was almost as if Lindsay wanted to go as well, to look after the baby.

"We went in there hand in hand to become a three and very quickly found that Katy May had passed away, and then Lindsay.

"I still can't believe how we got to this."