Girl, nine, drowned in bath after mum 'left her to find favourite toy'

A nine-year-old girl drowned in a bath when he mother went to find her favourite toys, an inquest has heard. Mia-Ann Myerscough was discovered partially immersed in the water minutes after her mum had left her alone.

Her mum knew she would not settle without her favourite toy so went to go and find it. But she was left horrified when she saw her daughter submerged in the bath, with her partner quickly scooping the little girl from it.

Paramedics rushed to the scene and took the child to hospital. But she could not be saved and resuscitation attempts were later stopped

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An inquest heard how Mia, from Bridgend, Wales, died on September 13, 2021. She suffered from PCDH19-related epilepsy - a rare form of the syndrome with early onset seizures, cognitive and sensory delays and behavioural problems, WalesOnline reports.

The child had not had a seizure in the two years before her death. Mum Julia Myerscough was giving Mia-Ann a bath when she realised her daughter did not have her favourite Danny Dog squishy toy.

She became concerned Mia-Ann would become irritable without the toy so she went downstairs for no more than five minutes in a bid to find it, Pontypridd Coroners' Court heard. She told the hearing on November 5: "She was sitting towards the top of the bath in the corner next to her little squishies - her little friends.

"I made sure the tap was turned off and I went down to get Danny Dog." Her partner Vernon Ward told the inquest he heard a 'bump' or 'bang' but didn’t know where it came from in the house.

He shouted up to Mia-Ann and shouted a second time when he did not get a response. He then found Mia-Ann partially immersed in the water.

Mr Ward said he scooped Mia-Ann out of the water and immediately started CPR. Neighbours rushed to the house after Mia-Ann's older brother alerted them to an emergency.

Paramedics arrived within minutes and took Mia-Ann to University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. But resuscitation attempts were stopped at the paediatric intensive care unit in the early hours of the next morning.

Mr Ward said Mia-Ann 'loved her squishies' and would 'take them everywhere, even school'. While Ms Myerscough said her daughter relied on the sensory toys and there had been some queries about whether the child was autistic.

Dr Stephen Leadbeatter, senior lecturer in forensic pathology at Cardiff University, told the inquest that he could not determine an exact medical cause of death. He said: "While we have no evidence she was submerged in water, she was in the water and her nose and mouth were in the water.

"To me that is still immersion. One cannot ignore that water played a part. I can put it as the death is a consequence of immersion in a child with PCDH19-related epilepsy."

Ms Myerscough said she was convinced her daughter had not had a seizure in the minutes before the bath ordeal and was not about to have one. The inquest heard the mum had decades of experience in dealing with close family members with epilepsy.

She also also cared for Mia-Ann’s older sister, who is 25 and has the same condition. Dr Alok Gaurav, consultant within children’s services at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, said Mia-Ann’s epilepsy 'was really well controlled' from 2019.

He said it appeared there was a pattern with Mia-Ann where she would not have seizures for a while but would have them in shorter bursts. Ms Myerscough said these bursts tended to last about a week.

She said Mia-Ann always went pale in her face and showed key signs a seizure was coming on. But on the day Mia-Ann died her face had been 'shining'.

Alyson Davies, paediatric epilepsy specialist nurse with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, helped the Myerscough family with concerns around epilepsy since 2019. She said Mia-Ann’s epilepsy was well managed and she would usually take her medication properly.

On occasion, Ms Myerscough reported struggling to give her daughter all of the medication prescribed because she would sometimes refuse to take it. Ms Davies said there had been no issues reported regarding Mia-Ann’s epilepsy in the two years before her death.

Assistant coroner Andrew Morse read out medical guidance for people with epilepsy. He asked Ms Davies to clarify the guidance that a shower is always safer than a bath, to never shower or bathe if in a property on your own, to never lock the door while in a shower or bath, and to always inform someone in the property before you enter a shower or bath.

Ms Davies said the advice is correct and up to date for people with epilepsy. Mum Ms Myerscough said she was aware of the advice and knew the advice at the time.

But she said Mia-Ann hated showers and would 'scream' when the water in the shower went on her head. She said her daughter was a 'very private little girl' and 'loved a bath'.

She would sit on the stairs on the other side of the bathroom door and 'chat away' to her daughter while she had a bath. Ms Davies agreed that was a good approach.

There had never been any issues with Mia-Ann in the bath prior to her death. Mr Morse recorded a formal conclusion of accident.

He accepted the findings of Dr Leadbeatter and said: "I find on the balance of probability Mia-Ann suffered a seizure which led to her immersion in the bath." He told mum Ms Myerscough she was not to blame for what happened and extended his condolences to Mia-Ann's loved ones.

Ms Myerscough said her daughter was a happy girl who loved her family. She loved Peppa Pig and trips out with her family to Margam Park.