Baby Loss

Naz Shah Excerpts

Monday 13th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Naz Shah (Bradford West) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae) for his work to secure this debate and for sharing his personal experience. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood Forest (Michelle Welsh). Hearing people’s personal experiences makes this a better place for us to legislate and do what we have to do, so I thank my hon. Friends very much for sharing, which takes bravery and courage. I am sure that the whole House shares those feelings.

Losing a child is one of the most devastating experiences that any parent can face, as other Members have said. Words cannot describe the immense personal pain of dealing with such grief. To carry a child for nine months—sometimes less—and to dream of their future only to lose them is simply unimaginable.

As a mother of three, my heart goes out to every parent who has endured the heartbreak of losing their child or baby. This debate, during Baby Loss Awareness Week, could not be more timely. Baby loss is not just a personal tragedy but a public health issue, in particular when it occurs as a result of preventable errors or gaps in care that we have the power to fix.

Baby loss has a deep and lasting impact not only on mothers and fathers, but on siblings and entire families. For some, that pain comes immediately after the loss; for others, it may take weeks or months before the full emotional weight is felt. That is why I welcome the amendment to the Employment Rights Bill that will extend bereavement leave to those who experience pregnancy loss. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Luton North (Sarah Owen), the Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, for her work in driving that change.

It cannot be right that someone who suffers a miscarriage in the morning, losing the future that they dreamed of, is expected to turn up at work at 9 am as if nothing had happened. I am proud that the Labour Government have recognised the real human cost of such a loss, and ensured that families receive the time, care and support that they need to begin to heal.

In Bradford, we have seen the devastating impact when maternity care falls short. Bradford teaching hospitals NHS foundation trust is one of the 14 NHS trusts now under review for historic maternity failures—a clear sign that systemic change is urgently needed. In November 2021, two newborn babies tragically lost their lives at Bradford royal infirmary after lapses in hygiene allowed a drug-resistant superbug to spread through the neonatal unit. A report found that staff were not consistently following hand hygiene guidelines and were unclear about the use of protective equipment. These were preventable deaths, heartbreaking for the families involved.

I welcome the measures that the trust has since put in place, but we must ensure that lessons are truly learned so that no family ever has to endure such pain again. Every mother deserves to give birth knowing that she and her baby will receive the best possible care—care rooted in safety, dignity and compassion.

In Bradford, a mother gave birth to her son on 13 February 2023; sadly, he passed away the next day. She was moved between units with little communication and no explanation of what was happening. She was not offered a transfer to another trust where her baby might have received neonatal care and a chance of survival. Her son was born alive but died in her arms, and her records were later found to wrongly describe the loss as a miscarriage. No mother should have to endure such failings. In describing what she went through, she said:

“My experience at Bradford Hospital’s maternity unit destroyed me. My son died after birth. I nearly died myself, but they didn’t care. They sent me home the same day he died, even though I had clear signs of infection. I left that hospital with not just empty arms, but with a body that has never been the same. Now all I have is a baby I can visit at the graveyard and a lifetime of pain that they caused.”

In my own constituency, I have consistently advocated the concern about the standards of maternity services and the leadership at the Bradford teaching hospital trust. On new year’s eve last year, a couple from Bradford were wrongly told that their unborn baby had died; the day after, she was delivered fit and healthy. Jamal and his wife Fozia were told by doctors that there was no heartbeat when they went for a routine test. They described their experience as going through hell and back. No parent should ever have to experience such pain and uncertainty. I have written to the Secretary of State, and I am glad that he is taking notice.

I welcome the maternity review being led by Baroness Amos, but lessons must be learned. The failures at Bradford really need to stop, so that nobody goes through such experiences again.