Full Breakdown
Newborn Ted Stewart’s Death Highlights Gaps in Obstetric Guidance
7/2/2026, 10:38:40 PM
Fatal Outcome After Discharge
On a day in 2024, Stacey Stewart presented to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals with bleeding and pain. A junior obstetric doctor noted the fetus, later named Ted, appeared to be in an oblique (diagonal) position but did not order an ultrasound. The team reassured the couple that there was no active bleeding and discharged them ahead of a planned caesarean section scheduled six days later. At home, Stacey’s waters ruptured, the baby’s feet emerged, and paramedics found Ted partially delivered, legs first. He was revived en route to hospital, placed in intensive care with severe brain injury from oxygen deprivation, and after eight days his parents withdrew life support.
Background: Oblique Position and Lack of Guidance
An oblique fetal presentation raises delivery risk, yet the inquest found no national or local protocol for its management. The coroner warned that this guidance gap creates a systemic risk, potentially exposing other infants to preventable harm.
Official Statements & Responses
The Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged that Stacey Stewart should have been admitted for an ultrasound and that, on the balance of probabilities, Ted would have survived had this occurred. Professor Chris Morley, chief nurse of the trust, issued an apology, noting that no apology can erase the family’s pain. The coroner announced plans to write to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and to NICE, urging the creation of clear guidance for oblique presentations.
Criticism & Opposition
The Stewarts criticised the medical team’s reassurance and the “lack of concern” that led them to trust the professionals. They described a “simple lack of communication between midwives and doctors” as a basic error that rendered Ted’s death “completely preventable.” The family said they felt “angry and incredibly let down.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “Had we been informed of Ted's oblique position we certainly would have insisted on an ultrasound scan being carried out and would have been very reluctant to leave.” — Stacey Stewart, Mother
- “They reassured us that everything was normal and fine. We are not medically trained and so we trusted the professionals. In many ways, it was their lack of concern which reassured us that everything was ok. What we went through, when Ted began to be born at home and became stuck, was absolutely horrendous. We both felt complete panic and fear.” — Dan Stewart, Father
- “A lack of guidance, and also a simple lack of communication between midwives and doctors - the most basic of errors and oversights - cost Ted's life and forever changed our lives as a family.” — Dan Stewart, Father
- “We feel so angry and incredibly let down.” — Stacey Stewart, Mother
What’s Next
The coroner will send formal letters to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and to NICE, urging the development of national protocols for managing oblique fetal presentations.
