'We had to wait seven months to find out how our child died'

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. 'We had to wait seven months to find out how our child died'14 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleArzu DuttaBBC Yorkshire & Lincolnshire InvestigationsBBCTwo-year old Alfie Robinson was a "really big character", his father Nathan said"It's the most serious situation we have seen for 20 years. "Dr Marta Cohen is a paediatric pathologist who has come out of retirement to help reduce the long waiting times bereaved parents face before they can find out how their child died. A shortage in the number of qualified pathologists able to carry out post-mortem examinations on children means that a fifth of families who have suffered the loss of a child now wait six months or more for the results.

For Doncaster couple Nathan and Fiona Robinson, the wait between their two-year-old son Alfie's sudden death and his post-mortem examination taking place was seven months. Warning: This article contains distressing details about losing a child. There were no warning signs before Alfie died in his sleep.

The Details

Fiona had gone to wake her son and his older sister when she found him in bed one morning in May 2022. She recalls: "I went over and tapped his back lightly and said, 'Come on dreamer, it's time to get up now'. "I knew straight away, as soon as I rolled him over, he was gone.

"After what Fiona describes as "one of the most harrowing moments of my life", she and Nathan were left "living in limbo" until pathology staff at Sheffield Children's Hospital could attempt to give them the answer as to how he had died. Parents Fiona and Nathan Robinson say they could not grieve properlyAlfie was "a really big character" and "very affectionate", Nathan says. "You could really feel the love that he radiated towards his mum, dad and sister.

"After their son's death, Nathan says the couple "no longer operate like normal parents". "You go over loads of scenarios in your head on a daily basis. Could we have done something differently?

What Experts Say

"Then, having another child, it leaves you constantly fearing for her future. "These fears were compounded by not knowing for several months why Alfie died. An inquest held in November 2024 could not establish a cause of death, despite a post-mortem examination, an examination of the scene and a review of the child's and family's medical history.

About 40 children and young people aged under 18 die unexpectedly in the UK every year from unknown causes, in which investigations failed to uncover a reason. But Nathan says it was "reassuring" to know "there was nothing that we could have done differently to stop this". "For a parent that's gone through an unexplained death, it's paramount that they get that answer quickly," he adds.

"It's really important for these families that they can start to build a life again that's been completely destroyed.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.