Baby died after being born in toilet

A mother who thought she was going through the menopause gave birth to a baby boy while on the toilet, an inquest in England heard today.

Heather Smith, 41, picked her new born baby, Jordan, out of the toilet and put him in a kitchen bowl, the hearing was told.

Although she told police that Jordan began breathing, he was later pronounced dead by the family doctor, who was called to Ms Smith’s home in Meltham, near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Pathologist Dr Philip Batman, who performed the post mortem examination on Jordan, said he was satisfied the baby had been born alive in April last year.

He told Huddersfield Coroners Court that the cause of death was asphyxia, possibly due to drowning.

The inquest heard that in October last year, six months after Jordan died, Ms Smith collapsed and died after suffering a fit.

Ms Smith’s GP, Dr Michael Pacynko, said she was an experienced mother who had been pregnant five times before. He told the hearing that he had treated her for a chest infection three months before Jordan’s birth and she had not mentioned being pregnant.

Dr Pacynko said Ms Smith arrived at his surgery at 10am on April 7 last year, some three hours after Jordan was born.

When he rushed to her flat, he found the baby in a kitchen bowl and pronounced him dead.

‘‘I asked her why she had not consulted me and she remarked that she had been going through the change,’’ said the doctor.

Dr Pacynko said Ms Smith’s partner had no idea she was pregnant, and added: ‘‘I am satisfied she did not realise she was pregnant until that morning.’’

He told the inquest that Ms Smith was ‘‘mentally subnormal of a mild nature’’.

West Yorkshire Police investigated the baby’s death.

Sergeant Margaret Birkenshaw, of the Kirklees Child Protection Unit, said: ‘‘Heather Smith stated she had no idea she was pregnant.

‘‘She said she was going through the menopause and her periods had continued.’’

Detective Constable David West, of Huddersfield CID said Ms Smith’s other children were all under some form of care arrangements by Social Services.

He told the inquest that police were initially concerned at the time lapse between the birth and Ms Smith seeking help.

He said she was ‘‘educationally subnormal’’ and had no comprehension of the emergency services’ system.

‘‘We are happy that there was no malicious intent to the child’s death,’’ he said.

Recording a verdict of want of attention at birth, Coroner Roger Whittaker said because of Ms Smith’s state of mind and the shock of giving birth, she did not realise she needed to seek medical help after her baby’s birth.

‘‘The birth was very quick and the baby’s life was exceedingly short,’’ he said.

But the baby might have survived had medical help had been sought quickly, he added.