May 2026: Thirlwall Inquiry report delayed to at least September 2026 · six-baby inquests relisted to 2027 · CCRC review active · Shoo Lee Panel: no medical evidence of deliberate harm.
Outcome: Survived
Gestation: 31+3 weeks, 2.076 kg, male
Sensitivity note: court-imposed lifelong anonymity covers every family. We use the court-assigned code only. See our families and witnesses sensitivity policy.
Air into stomach.
Method alleged: Air-in-stomach via NG tube.
Prosecution experts: Dr Dewi Evans; Dr Sandie Bohin.
Panel: the deterioration with vomiting was because he was developing early necrotising enterocolitis or sepsis. No evidence to support air injection into the stomach.
No fatal outcome — he recovered and was discharged home. Panel conclusion: Baby 17's deterioration with vomiting was because he was developing early necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) or sepsis; there was no evidence to support air injection into the stomach through the nasogastric tube. He was in fact treated for NEC at Alder Hey. The Panel addresses the central prosecution point directly: the nursing notes state that Neopuff and bagging were applied AFTER the vomiting, and the '++ air' was aspirated from the nasogastric tube after that bagging — so the air was most likely introduced by the bagging. Had enough air been pumped in to splint the diaphragm and cause collapse, the abdomen would have been tense and hard and the later X-rays would still show it; the notes record a soft, non-tender abdomen and the X-rays showed no gaseous distension.
Read the full long-form analysis →
Sources:
This page uses only the court-assigned code and publicly reported facts. The court imposed lifelong anonymity on every family; this site does not contact families and does not speculate about private circumstances.