A newborn baby girl died after her mother delivered her using a home birthing pool hired from an Instagram influencer who advocates for ‘freebirths’, a coroner found.
Melbourne-based influencer Emily Lal makes content opposing medical intervention during pregnancy, known as ‘freebirths’, and offers birthing pools for rent.
Ms Lal has said she is ‘very disillusioned with the medical system’ and that registered midwives are ‘complicit in, and contributing to, the harm of women’.
Ms Lal was cited in a coronial report published on Thursday into the death of a newborn, ‘Baby E’, in December 2022.
The mother, ‘Ms E’, did not seek regular medical help during pregnancy, attending a GP only at 36 weeks’ gestation.
She engaged directly with Ms Lal, through her Instagram, ‘The Authentic Birthkeeper’, and rented the birthing pool she used to deliver her baby.
Ms E said she remained in social contact with Ms Lal but did not seek any services or advice from her, other than inquiring about a possible visit after the birth.
According to a record relied on by the coroner, Ms Lal recalled Ms E texted her shortly after the baby was born on the evening of December 28 saying: ‘I did it.’
Influencer Emily Lal (pictured) advocates for ‘freebirths’ without medical assistance
She did not deliver the placenta until the following morning and gradually became concerned the baby was suffering complications.
During the morning, Ms E sent another text to Ms Lal saying: ‘We can’t wake her, we aren’t sure if she’s breathing,’ alongside an image of the newborn with a blue face.
Paramedics were sadly unable to revive the baby, who died on the morning of December 29, but rushed Ms E to hospital for treatment.
According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was neonatal pneumonia, meconium aspiration, and chorioamnionitis, secondary to prolonged labour in a home birthing pool.
Forensic pathologist Dr Yeliena Baber stated that had the birth occurred in a hospital, preventative measures could have been taken.
‘Even if Baby E’s condition was poor at the time of her birth, if she had been born at hospital, she would have received immediate resuscitation from trained neonatologists, improving her likelihood of survival,’ she said.
Coroner Fitzgerald accepted the autopsy findings, stating the use of the birthing pool contributed to the baby’s death.
‘It was unlikely to have occurred if the birth occurred in a hospital setting, and it may also have been avoided if the birth was a planned homebirth with appropriate midwife support,’ she said.
A coroner found the death of Baby E was preventable (stock)
The coroner made no adverse findings against the parents or Ms Lal.
Ms Lal is not a health professional and her social media profile bears the disclaimer: ‘no medical advice’.
She has repeatedly claimed it is not her intent to convert anyone to her method of pregnancy and, instead, aims only to express her own opinion.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Ms E relied on any representations by Ms Lal in deciding how to conduct the birth or pregnancy.
Safer Care Victoria (SCV) encourages women and families to seek care from trained and registered health professionals during pregnancy.
‘In recent years, there has been an increase in freebirths in Victoria and unfortunately, some have resulted in poor outcomes for mothers and babies, such as severe bleeding in the mother or breathing problems in the baby leading to long term health issues or even death,’ its website reads.
It strongly encourages ‘women and families to seek care from trained AHPRA registered professionals, who can provide medical support when needed, helping to ensure the safest possible outcomes for mother and baby.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .