This heartbreaking picture shows a first-time mother gazing proudly at her 'perfect' new-born child as the baby battles for life in a hospital incubator.
But although Minnie-Rae Sherratt appeared at first to be in good health despite being born 13 weeks early, her condition suddenly deteriorated after she contracted a serious disease.
She died the following the day aged only 11 days old after tests showed she had Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) a condition prone with premature babies.
At an inquest into Minnie-Rae's death, her parents raised concerns about her medical care during an inquest into her death - but a coroner said that there was nothing medics at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester could have done to save her.
Samantha Sherratt and Joseph Fineman criticised an 80-minute wait for surgeons to assess Minnie-Rae to establish if operating upon her would have helped her condition.
During the wait the infant's health declined significantly and she passed away from organ failure.
The couple, from Salford, also expressed their sadness and confusion of the apparent joint decision for doctors to stop administering CPR to their ‘perfect daughter’.
They said they believed that her chance of survival may have been heightened if antibiotics had been administered earlier and surgeons attended quicker.
The Manchester hearing was told due to a shift changeover antibiotics where not administered to Minnie-Rae, because night staff decided that she no longer seemed unwell enough to warrant the medication.
Miss Sherratt told the inquest: “I do believe in my mind she could have had a bit of a better chance if certain things where put in place, like communication and other things.
''There were difficulties in the labour so I had an emergency caesarean and she was born the day after I went into hospital. She seemed perfect, but we felt like there was no communication at all when we were in there.
“We weren’t told any updates, or how she was doing, and there was not much support in there at all with it being our first child. We weren’t able to hold her until day nine.”
Mr Fineman said: “The hospital did tell us that no more further care was going to be given to Minnie-Rae but there was no conversation with us. They told us: 'that is what was going to happen'. They didn’t discuss it with us - we were told.”
Minnie-Rae was born on August 17, 2018. Gareth Penman, a consultant neonatologist at St Mary’s Hospital said: “She did very well at first and we were able to take her off the ventilator after 24 hours or so.
“First few days was very good and we were able to stop the antibiotics she was started on immediately after birth. There were no signs of infection and her heart was working fine and her blood pressure was fine too.
''But on the 10th day was a slight change in the way she appeared. Knowing what we know now, clearly there were some signs that she was less well.
"There was a decision early on in the day to start her on antibiotics, but that was then reviewed on the evening walk around and it was felt that she didn’t seem unwell enough to warrant antibiotics. I agree with that decision.
“She was monitored very, very closely over that night she remained relatively well and it wasn’t until around 10am next morning she was seemed to have some concerns. One episode of CPR initially recovered but she deteriorated again at which point it was we said it was agreed not to do anything else.
“Everything was done for Minnie-Rae that possibly could be done and looking back there was nothing that could have been done differently. If antibiotics had been given the day before I don’t think it would have made a difference.”
Recording a verdict of death by natural causes, Coroner Angharad Davies said: “On day 10 there was an issue of change in the amount of oxygen in her system and her heart rate.
"The plan was for doctors to start antibiotics and check CRP levels in the blood but because of the fact there was a shift change CRP tests which were requested didn’t happen and antibiotics weren’t given because of the new handover.
"They didn’t feel antibiotics were required when overall her condition was seen as satisfactory. I accept that the clinical observations carried out was the right call to make, as was the decision not to give antibiotics.
"But she deteriorated significantly the next day and it was indicated that she had this illness of NEC. Antibiotics where given at that point but they don’t actually treat the condition - they treat any potential sepsis that might arise because of it.
"But antibiotics would not have prevented Minnie-Rae from developing NEC. It was a suggested a surgical review take place about anything they could do. But an hour and 20 minutes later she was too unstable and had to be treated by an abdominal drain.
"That must have seemed like an awful long time when you are by the bed side of your critically-ill baby but there was no evidence that the surgeons didn’t come as soon as they could have.
"And there was no evidence that any operating theatre would have been ready and she would have been able to have the surgery and that surgery would have been any more effective than the surgical drain.”
Addressing the concerns about stopping CPR on Minnie-Rae, Miss Davies, said: "The clinicians felt there was nothing that could be done to improve her condition.
"And I accept that the reports have used the wording that a joint decision about the way the care was to be reoriented and the parents have heard that there where to be no more attempts of CPR and they felt they weren’t in agreement.
"They were told this was what was to happen to her. But I don’t think there was another outcome and Minnie Rae’s death was inevitable. I haven’t found anything that medical staff could have done to stop it."
In a post on social media, Miss Sherratt wrote: ''Mummy and daddy love you our baby girl and miss you so much Minnie-Rae.''
