The death of a baby six days after an attempted vaginal birth after caesarean homebirth could have been prevented if the pregnancy had been managed by a GP or specialist obstetrician, a coroner has found.

The newborn — referred to as ‘Baby AM’ during the inquest — was delivered unresponsive by emergency caesarean on 8 September 2017 after the labouring mother experienced a uterine rupture at home, resulting in 2.5L of blood loss and a “near-miss maternal death”.

The infant was resuscitated and intubated at Busselton Hospital, in regional WA, but subsequently died following transfer to Princess Margret Hospital in Perth when treatment was withdrawn because of severe hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.

WA deputy state coroner Sarah Linton said both parents had understood the risks of a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) but had rejected a referral to Busselton’s high-risk clinic because they believed an obstetrician would not support their plan for a homebirth.