Cork inquest hears harrowing detail of baby's death at CUMH

Marie Downey, who gave birth to baby Darragh at CUMH on Friday, March 22, 2019, suffered an epileptic seizure, possibly while breastfeeding.

Marie Downey and her baby son Darragh

A newborn baby boy who was found trapped under his lifeless mother on the floor of her room at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) died because the weight of her body stopped blood supply to his heart and brain.

Harrowing details of this ‘compression asphyxia’ have emerged this evening on the third day of the joint inquest into the deaths of Marie Downey, 36, from Knockanevin near Kildorrery in north Cork, on March 25, 2019, and her baby, Darragh, the following day, at CUMH, aged just four days old.