Three-week-old baby who was born in a ‘freebirth’ at home died after parents PRAYED over him instead of taking him to hospital when he turned blue

A ‘deeply religious’ couple in their 20s prayed for their baby, who later died. When they noticed he was having trouble breathing, they decided not to take him to the hospital.

The Geelong couple gave birth at home on December 29, 2021 in a ‘free birth’ after choosing not to have medical support during pregnancy and relying solely on their faith.

“They researched online, in books and listened to witnesses,” coroner John Cain wrote in his findings on the case.

The coroner noted that the couple had consulted a potential midwife via video call but changed their minds and decided they wanted “a birth that was as natural as possible, without invasive procedures,” it reported The Geelong Advertiser.

The couple, who lived with the baby’s paternal grandmother, noted that there were no complications during the birth and that the baby weighed a healthy 4 kg at birth.

Coroner Cain said the baby died three weeks later, on January 17, weighing 6 pounds 11 ounces.

A few days earlier, the mother had said she was concerned about the boy’s weight and had noticed he was “looking blue.” Grandma suggested going to a public hospital, but the mother refused and decided to switch to bottle feeding instead.

On January 16, the husband became concerned about the boy’s breathing. The couple prayed for him, believing he would get better.

On January 17th at around 3am my husband went to give the baby his usual feeding.

He saw the child turn ‘purple’ and performed CPR before waking his wife. She also attempted to revive the child, but when she realised the child was dead, she realised the child was dead.

The couple did not call an ambulance, as they were convinced that a miracle would happen and the baby would wake up. Emergency services were not called until the grandmother discovered it later that day.

When the paramedics arrived that afternoon, the baby had long been dead.

The cause turned out to be pneumonia due to malnutrition.

“The cause of the child’s malnutrition was likely a decreased intake resulting from the child’s inability to breastfeed properly,” Judge Cain wrote.

“It appears that the sooner medical attention was sought, the greater the chance that (the baby) would recover and survive,” he said.

However, he could not determine with certainty that the death could have been prevented.

Victoria Police also investigated but did not file charges against the couple.

Coroner Cain said the case was a reminder of the dangers of free birth and the choice not to seek medical advice.