HOSPITAL staff could not have known that a baby who died hours after being delivered by caesarean had been compromised up to 12 hours earlier, a coroner has ruled.

Assistant coroner Michelle Brown made the judgement at Essex Coroners' Court, Chelmsford, this morning following the death of Ellie-Mai Flowers at Southend Hospital on April 24, 2012 after a caesarean birth 13 days late.

Her parents' solicitors had argued the hospital had breached the right to life enshrined in article two of the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to adequately prevent Ellie-Mai's death, but Ms Brown said, based on these evidence she had heard, this could not be upheld.

However, Ellie-Mai's mother Emily Cox had been on labour-inducing drugs for more an five hours without effect before it was decided to perform a caesarean section, and Ms Brown expressed her concern that the decision was "half-made and it was unclear who made the decision and at what time."

But she added there was no way clinicians could have detected that Ellie-Mai was at risk because of her small size and even smaller placenta.

She said:"The placenta was smaller than the baby but it was just about working to full capacity.

"What it could not do was cope with any of the stress of birth and, as (pathologist Dr Irene Scheimberg) said, birth I'd stressful for a baby in any circumstances.

"This could not be detected antenatally and there is no mechanism for picking up a small placenta."

She also said the evidence showed Ellie-Mai had suffered hypoxia - or lack of oxygen to the brain - before she was delivered but that this had not been picked up - and it was uncertain whether her chances would have increased had it been detected.

This was followed by a "total cord exclusion" in the umbilical cord, she said, which meant no blood flowed through it to Ellie-Mai from 10.31pm until her birth at 10.52pm - this was not recognised at the time but Ms Brown said, again, it is not known whether this would have affected Ellie-Mai's chances.

Passing a narrative verdict, she said: "Ellie-Mai Flowers was born by caesarean section on 23 April 2012 at 2252 hours.

"The correct procedures were followed and, although bradycardia was missed, I cannot say whether this would have altered the outcome.

"Baby Ellie-Mai died at Southend University Hospital on 24 April 2012 at 0044 hours of almost post-term delivery in a baby with a small placenta with delayed maturation and high foetal-placental ratio."