Losing a baby is one of the most devastating experiences a family can face, and the emotional impact can last a lifetime. If you believe medical negligence may have contributed to your loss, the thought of making a neonatal death compensation claim can feel overwhelming. Our experienced medical negligence solicitors are here to support you with sensitivity, understanding, and clear guidance every step of the way.
No amount of compensation can undo your loss. But a neonatal death negligence claim can provide answers, accountability, and financial support.
What Is Medical Negligence for Neonatal Death?
Neonatal death is when a baby is born alive but passes away within the first 28 days of life. In contrast, the loss of a baby before 24 weeks is classed as a miscarriage, while a stillbirth refers to a baby who passes away before or during birth, 24 weeks after gestation.
Thankfully stillbirth rates have improved in recent years, neonatal deaths have remained largely unchanged. The impact of knowing that a neonatal death could have been prevented is devastating for families.
Medical negligence for neonatal death happens when a baby dies within the first 28 days due to failures in medical care that fall below an acceptable standard. These failures directly cause or contribute to the death.
Negligence may occur during:
-
Pregnancy
-
Labour and delivery
-
Immediate postnatal care
-
Neonatal intensive care
What Are Examples of Neonatal Death Negligence?
Not all neonatal deaths are preventable, but some result from medical negligence. Our specialist solicitors have over 30 years’ experience handling these claims. Common examples we see include:
- Failure to adequately monitor the baby – Cases where hospital staff did not properly monitor the baby, such as failing to check foetal heart rates or misinterpreting cardiotocography (CTG) results.
- Failure to treat Group B Strep - Antibiotics should be given before labour, should group B strep be suspected, and a failure or delay to do so could be fatal.
- Delayed or failed resuscitation after birth – Instances where a baby was born not breathing or with low oxygen levels, and resuscitation was delayed or equipment was used incorrectly, including delays in transfer to neonatal intensive care.
- Inadequate infection control – Cases involving delayed diagnosis or treatment of infections such as sepsis or meningitis, where antibiotics were not administered when needed.
- Poor delivery management – Labour may lead to oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) if medical professionals do not act quickly enough when signs of distress appear or fail to perform a timely C-section.
Our team has extensive experience handling these types of neonatal death claims, supporting families and investigating whether substandard care before, during, or after delivery contributed to the tragic loss.
Neonatal Death Compensation Claims Process
We know that making a neonatal death compensation claim can be difficult, but we’re here to talk whenever you’re ready to. Our team of friendly medical lawyers will help you identify your eligibility. You may be able to make a neonatal death claim if your medical professional:
-
Failed to identify or treat pregnancy complications, such as infections
-
Made errors or delays during delivery
-
Did not communicate risks or abnormalities that could have influenced your decisions
-
Provided inadequate postnatal care
-
Made medication or dosing errors
-
Mismanaged a high-risk pregnancy
-
Failed to refer you or your baby to specialist care
Once you know you are eligible, you can submit a neonatal death claim to us. We can offer you a free, no-obligation consultation, where we will support you through the process:
-
Eligibility check – We assess whether your case may be valid.
-
Free consultation – Discuss your circumstances, losses, and next steps with our specialist solicitors.
-
Evidence gathering – We collect medical records and consult independent experts to support your claim.
-
Representation – We act on your behalf and explain how compensation is calculated.
-
No Win, No Fee – Most claims are handled on a Conditional Fee Agreement, so you don’t pay legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful.
We understand that the claims process can feel overwhelming, so please contact us to discuss your situation and get guidance. You can also browse our case studies to see how we've supported families through these difficult claims.
Talk to Us about Your Neonatal Death Compensation Claim
At Medical Solicitors, we understand that losing a baby is an incredibly emotional and vulnerable time. Our compassionate experts will guide you through the process, supporting you every step of the way.
If you think you have been affected by neonatal death negligence, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team today. We can explain the claims process and help you get your neonatal death claim started. Most of our claims are conducted under conditional fee agreements, so you have nothing to lose by reaching out to us and don’t have to worry about how you will fund a claim.
