Coroner Determines Two-Year-Old’s Death Was From Natural Causes Following Hospital Discharge

A coroner has determined that the death of a two-year-old boy, who passed away after being diagnosed with constipation, was due to natural causes. Hudson Cole Perrins, a resident of Willenhall, passed away on 27 June. This occurred four days after his father brought him to Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital complaining of stomach pain. Following his initial discharge, he was readmitted to the hospital before being moved to the paediatric intensive care unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The official cause of death was identified as a brain injury, which resulted from a urinary tract infection that impacted his kidneys and led to sepsis. Nevertheless, his parents contend that more thorough initial examinations should have been conducted at New Cross Hospital to accurately diagnose his condition. Delivering her findings at the Black Country Coroner’s Court in Oldbury, assistant coroner Kelly Dixon stated that a conclusion of natural causes does not preclude the existence of shortcomings. She indicated that medical personnel ought to have monitored Hudson’s heart rate before his discharge from New Cross Hospital. However, she also affirmed her satisfaction that he was initially sent home with symptoms not suggestive of sepsis, which she noted could progress “incredibly quickly”. Although she refrained from issuing a prevention of future deaths report, she did fault medical staff for failing to recheck his heart rate before his release. She quoted, “It is set out within the trust policy that this should have occurred,” adding, “[But] I am not able to go a step further to say had it been checked that Hudson’s death would not have occurred.” Ms. Dixon further commented that Hudson’s death was “wholly unexpected,” yet the suitable verdict was one attributed to natural causes. She stated, “As a parent myself of young children I cannot imagine the loss of a child and the loss at such a young age.” She continued, “From the photographs that I have seen of Hudson he was a happy and beautiful little boy. A beloved little brother and clearly very loved by you all.” Kayleigh Taundry, Hudson’s mother and an employee of the hospitals trust, had previously stated that physicians pursued the “obvious route” of diagnosing Hudson with constipation despite a lack of evidence. She detailed her son’s complex medical background, which involved bladder and kidney issues. Additionally, he was born with a heart defect, necessitating surgery when he was seven months old. Ms. Taundry remarked, “He was one month from turning three.” She added, “He was very cheeky and boisterous. We are all still in denial. I can’t put it into words. He was a beautiful boy.” Michael Portman-Hann, a clinical negligence expert from FBC Manby Bowdler, had previously commented: “This is a tragic case that has left the family with so many questions and concerns.” He further stated, “We will support them in any way we can to make sure no other family goes through this trauma.” In a statement released after the inquest, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust declared: “We would like to once again offer our condolences to the family following the loss of Hudson.” The trust continued, “While the coroner today concluded Hudson’s death was due to natural causes, we are always mindful of areas for improvement as highlighted in our own investigation.” For further updates, follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. Please note that the BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.