The parents of nine-month-old twins who died at home believed her exposure to air pollution from a construction site outside the hospital’s intensive care unit after she was born played a role in the tragedy. An inquest in Ruthin, North Wales, was told today that they repeatedly asked for the windows to be closed at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan.
Amy Dean, mother of Annie-Jo Mountcastle, said there was a strong smell of fumes “like diesel”. She said: “Every time we arrived the window was open and we could smell the fumes. The nurses kept saying they were opening the windows to get fresh air.’
She added: “I feel that health and safety at Glan Clwyd Hospital was not taken seriously enough.” Construction work was going on at the hospital. Sign up for all the latest court stories here
READ MORE: A restaurant in North Wales that has achieved legendary status, taken over by a Michelin chef
READ MORE: Llandudno lake suddenly turned blue to ‘look like the Mediterranean’
Coroner John Gittins recorded a conclusion that death was due to natural causes.
But Annie Jo’s mum, Miss Dean, said: I kept asking for the windows to be closed. It was a very traumatic time. We expressed our concern about the pollution that had entered the ward and its effect on the twins.
She claimed the nurse had “spoiled” those concerns. Annie-Jo died in November 2017 in Llanfair TH near Abergele when her mother became unresponsive.
An inquest found the twins had been discharged home the previous April.
David Mountcastle, father of the twins, said the window was “open all the time”. Annie-Jo and her sister were born prematurely, at 28 weeks, in February 2017. Ward staff said they had to open the windows because it was so hot, he recalled.
“The exposure to pollutants had a negative impact on their physical health. If it weren’t for the open windows, my child would have been fine,” he claimed. “We do not accept the health board’s view that exposure to pollutants did not adversely affect Annie-Jo.”
Two pathologists said the cause of death had not been determined. Professor Sailesh Kotecha, a child health expert called by the coroner, told the inquest: “Initial care was fine until discharge.”
Professor Jonathan Grigg, a leading paediatrician, who studies the effects of air pollution, said: “The parents’ narrative was quite compatible and credible if you smell the diesel fumes.”
He added: “Knowledge of the effects of air pollution can be improved among the medical profession.”
Simon Vaughan, an adviser to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said 30 per cent of premature babies developed the chronic lung condition BPD (bronchopulmonary dysplasia) and its cause was unknown in this case.
Coroner John Gittins recorded a conclusion that death was due to natural causes. He was assured that the new units at the hospital were air-conditioned.
Mr Gittins said on February 18, 2017, parents raised a concern with the hospital about possible contaminants entering the room due to outside work.
“I also accept from the evidence I have heard, particularly Mr Mountcastle’s evidence, that the contaminants present at the time would have put pressure on the vulnerable state she was in at that stage,” the coroner said.
The child had BPD. But on April 26, 2017, the twin was well enough to be released from the hospital. Annie-Jo was pronounced dead at home by a helicopter medic.
Mr Gittins said the medical cause of death was sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but BPD was relevant because it increased the risks. “I can’t make any connection between the contamination of Glan Clwyd and Annie-Jo’s eventual passing,” he added.
Tonight, Chris Stockport, BCUHB’s executive director of transformation and strategic planning, said: “First and foremost, I want to express my sincere condolences to Annie-Jo’s parents and extended family on their tragic loss in 2017.
“We accept the coroner’s conclusion in full and thank him for his full and thorough investigation.” We will look in detail at his comments made during the investigation.
“I can assure the public that our drive to provide the best possible environment for all patients, especially our most vulnerable, is an ongoing process.”
Find out what’s happening in your area