Newborn 'cried in pain' for 13 weeks as doctors 'missed signs of condition' as mum considers legal action

A distraught has revealed her newborn has been "crying in pain" for 13 weeks after medics allegedly missed signs of a painful condition. Demi-Leigh Hughes, who gave birth to her daughter Isabella prematurely at William Harvey in Ashfield, Kent on August 5, 2024, shared that it took doctors 13 weeks to diagnose the infant with anterior anus, an abnormal positioning of the anus.

The full-time mum from Hersden, Kent, expressed her frustration, saying: "I’ve got a child of 13 weeks who’s been crying non-stop, who is dependent on laxatives in order to poo because of something that could have been picked up and should have been picked up weeks ago."

She continued, detailing the ordeal: "For 13 weeks we’ve had this problem of her screaming and screaming and we’ve just had to have more and more medication." Highlighting the severity of the , she added: "She’s on laxatives that a 12-year-old child should be on."

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Demi explained the upcoming challenges: "Now, she’s going to need a major operation to try and reposition her bowel - she might need a stoma bag." Despite the late diagnosis, she acknowledged: "She would have had these problems no matter when the problem was noticed."

However, she lamented: "But if it had been spotted sooner - like it should have been - then she could have started treatment and wouldn’t have had to go through all this pain."

Recalling her previous experience, Demi mentioned her apprehension about giving birth at the same hospital where she delivered her first child Elijah, 14 months prior. Demi remarked: "When she had her newborn (medical) check it should have been noticed then. It’s blatantly obvious - every medical professional I have spoken to since has stated this."

On the topic of potential legal action, she expressed: "If they've missed this with my child, how many more children are they actually missing things with?" Demi also highlighted the need for better training among neonatal doctors: "Neonatal doctors need to pay more attention and they clearly need more training in what to look for."

She believes this could prevent other families from experiencing the distress she endured for 13 weeks. A spokesperson for East Kent University Trust, which operates the William Harvey, responded: "We are sorry to hear of Ms Hughes’ distress and would invite her to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service."

They further explained that while practitioners are trained to perform baby checks, including examining for anterior anus, it is not always possible to detect the condition at that stage.