Undiagnosed: Mum and baby who died three days after birth had postpartum infection, sepsis

Emerald Tai and her partner Tanatui Samuels. Their seventh child was named after his father. Photo / Supplied

A West Auckland mum who died suddenly at home with her newborn and seventh child, just three days after giving birth, had an undiagnosed postpartum infection.

Emerald Tai and her baby son Tanatui both developed sepsis as their bodies reacted to the infection and died in bed together in March.

Both deaths are still under investigation by the Coroner but preliminary findings based on the post-mortem exams have been released to the family.

The deaths are also part of a review by the country's largest hospital after four women died during or soon after pregnancy this year.

Only one maternal death was recorded at Auckland City Hospital in three years, but there have been four this year - three since level 3 restrictions began on March 23.

Tai's family are still waiting for firm answers on how and why she became fatally unwell, and the ADHB says once the review is complete it will meet with the whānau to "share the findings and answer their questions".

Tai gave birth to Tanatui - named after his father Tanatui Samuels - on Friday, March 13.

The pair were discharged the next day and returned to their Kelston home.

Tai and Samuels' six other children were home with them during the weekend - and present when she and the baby died early on the Monday morning.

Most of baby Tanatui's family had not even met him and his grandmother Susan Fa'amoe saw him for the first time when she went to identify Tai's body at the morgue.

The only photograph she has of her grandson is of him lying in a coffin.

Fa'amoe spoke to the Herald about the double tragedy in June.

Tanatui Samuels and Emerald Tai met at high school and had been together 12 years. They had seven children together before she and the youngest died. Photo / Supplied

She still has many questions but was pleased when the Coroner was able to send out basic information about the deaths.

Fa'amoe shared that information with the Herald.

A letter on behalf of Coroner Katharine Greig stated post mortem examination results confirmed Tai died from peurperal sepsis and Tanatui died from sepsis and "unsafe sleep".

The pair were in bed together when Tai became unwell.

Sepsis is a life-threatening illness caused by your body's response to an infection.

And puerperal sepsis is directly related to maternal deaths - accounting for 5 per cent of such cases in New Zealand.

The condition can develop any time throughout the postpartum period - after the baby is born - and can be rapid.

If undiagnosed it can lead to septic shock and, in the case of Tai and her baby, death.

Fa'amoe said the months since her daughter and grandson died had been terrible.

She is running a Givealittle page to raise money for the children and help out with their future.

Emerald Tai and her partner Tanatui Samuels. Their seventh child was named after his father. Photo / Supplied

Though Tai was never wealthy, she did everything she could to provide for the children and made sure they did not go without.

Fa'amoe wants to ensure her moko are supported and have money for school supplies, clothes, shoes and whatever else they need.

Her son-in-law was doing well raising the six other children but was struggling without his high school sweetheart.

"He's barely coping without her," Fa'amoe said.

"He's finding it really hard.

"He feels like it just happened yesterday … it's a really hard road."

Fa'amoe was desperate to know how her daughter contracted the infection that led to sepsis.

She hoped more information would come out of the ADHB review and the Coronial process.

She had a lot of questions, including whether her daughter contracted the initial infection from anything or anyone at the hospital, and how it went unnoticed.

Her son-in-law told her that Tai had been unwell all weekend before she died.

Until the review was completed though, she had to wait - which was hard and frustrating.

"Her kids watched her die … they ask about her all the time," said Fa'amoe.

"They were so excited to have a new brother, really excited - now they see a photo of Emerald and say 'oh, mummy's in heaven'.

"It's really devastating … they watched their mum die, and their brother, right in front of them."

The ADHB review is ongoing and a spokeswoman said the organisation endeavoured to complete it "as quickly as possible".

"But it is a robust process which takes some time," said ADHB director of women's health Dr Rob Sherwin.

"Serious adverse events - such as the unexpected death of a mother and baby - receive an in-depth review by a team of clinical and other staff who are independent from the event.

"The review reports are then assessed by a committee made up of senior clinical staff to ensure they are robust and that issues - including those raised by patients or their families - which may need to be addressed at an organisational level, are identified."

Sherwin said once the review was complete ADHB representatives would meet with Tai's family.

"We are taking this extremely seriously and are fully investigating the care that was given."

The coronial inquiry into the deaths is also ongoing.

While Coroner Greig had received the preliminary post-mortem results, she was waiting on further information.

A Givealittle page set up to help Tai's surviving children will remain open until at least December this year.

If you want to help, click here.