A heartbroken mother has shared her distress after her newborn daughter spent 13 weeks “crying in pain” due to a condition allegedly overlooked by medical professionals. Demi-Leigh Hughes, from Hersden, Kent, revealed that her daughter, Isabella, born prematurely at William Harvey Hospital on August 5, 2024, was only recently diagnosed with anterior anus, a condition where the anus is abnormally positioned, according to the Express.
Speaking out, Demi expressed her frustration at the delayed diagnosis. “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 said.
Demi detailed the challenges Isabella has faced: “For 13 weeks we’ve had this problem of her screaming and screaming, and we’ve just had to have more and more medication. She’s on laxatives that a 12-year-old child should be on”, reported by the Mirror.
Looking ahead, Demi explained that Isabella now faces a major operation to reposition her bowel and may even require a stoma bag. While acknowledging that the condition would have posed challenges regardless of timing, she added, “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.”
This is not Demi’s first troubling experience with William Harvey Hospital. She had her first child, Elijah, at the same facility 14 months ago and was hesitant to return. “When she had her newborn check, it should have been noticed then. It’s blatantly obvious—every medical professional I have spoken to since has stated this,” she said.
Demi also voiced concerns about systemic issues, asking, “If they’ve missed this with my child, how many more children are they actually missing things with?” She called for better training among neonatal doctors, emphasizing the importance of early detection to spare other families similar anguish.
In response, a spokesperson for East Kent University Hospitals Trust expressed sympathy: “We are sorry to hear of Ms. Hughes’ distress and would invite her to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service.” They explained that while practitioners are trained to detect conditions like anterior anus, it is not always possible to identify it during initial checks.
Demi hopes her story will raise awareness and lead to improvements in neonatal care, preventing other families from enduring the pain her daughter has faced.