The 10-day-old daughter of Chancellor Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah died last night in her parents' arms.
The couple, both visibly distressed, were driven away from the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion in Edinburgh 40 minutes after Jennifer Jane lost her struggle for life.
Fears had been mounting for her
well-being since she was transferred to the specialist unit on Friday after a routine brain scan detected "cause for concern".
Her condition was such that the Browns had her baptised in the hospital's neo-natal unit.
Born on December 28 to the obvious delight of the Chancellor, baby Jennifer was seven weeks premature and weighing just 2lb 4oz at the Forth Park Hospital in Kirkaldy.
Last night a statement for the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh said simply : "At 5.20pm today, Jennifer Jane died peacefully in her parents' arms."
A Downing Street spokesman said the Prime Minister, who is in Afghanistan, had been informed of her death. Jennifer was born by an emergency caesarean section following doctor's advice after it was discovered she was suffering from intrauterine growth restriction.
- INDEPENDENT
