Autopsy to be carried out on baby who died at birth centre in Rome.A police investigation is under way in Rome after a newborn baby girl died at a birth centre in the Testaccio district of the capital on Friday afternoon.The centre - called Il Nido and located on Via Marmorata - has been sequestered by police. The two midwives present in the casa maternità at the time of the baby's birth - one of whom is the owner - have been placed under investigation. An autopsy is expected to be performed on Tuesday and will definitively determine the cause of the baby's death. The investigation aims to establish the facts and determine responsibility, particularly in relation to whether the centre complied with regulations for birthing facilities and home births. What happened Shortly after being born, at around 14.30 on Friday, the baby girl experienced sudden cardiac arrest. Following unsuccessful resuscitation attempts, the midwife called an ambulance which arrived within about 15 minutes. However there was nothing that could be done for the baby. The infant's mother, a 37-year-old Italian woman in her first pregnancy, was taken to hospital in shock, while the 48-year-old father, also Italian, called the police. Il Nido Staffed by professional midwives, Il Nido has facilitated and promoted natural births for the past three decades. The centre is authorised by the local health authority (ASL) in accordance with regional guidelines and regulations in Lazio. Committed "against the medicalisation of childbirth" and opposed to epidural anesthesia, the centre promotes hypnobirthing, a technique aimed at reducing pain during labour. "We strive to find a balance between traditional midwifery and contemporary maternity care" - Il Nido's website states - "We hold on dearly to proven traditional skills we learned so they are not lost, but we embrace and use the latest technology and testing available today." Il Nido also offers pre-natal and post-natal activities and courses in English and is well known to mothers and new parents among the international community in Rome.  

A police investigation is under way in Rome after a newborn baby girl died at a birth centre in the Testaccio district of the capital on Friday afternoon. The centre - called Il Nido and located on Via Marmorata - has been sequestered by police. The two midwives present in the casa maternità at the time of the baby's birth - one of whom is the owner - have been placed under investigation. An autopsy is expected to be performed on Tuesday and will definitively determine the cause of the baby's death. The investigation aims to establish the facts and determine responsibility, particularly in relation to whether the centre complied with regulations for birthing facilities and home births. What happened Shortly after being born, at around 14.30 on Friday, the baby girl experienced sudden cardiac arrest. Following unsuccessful resuscitation attempts, the midwife called an ambulance which arrived within about 15 minutes. However there was nothing that could be done for the baby. The infant's mother, a 37-year-old Italian woman in her first pregnancy, was taken to hospital in shock, while the 48-year-old father, also Italian, called the police. Il Nido Staffed by professional midwives, Il Nido has facilitated and promoted natural births for the past three decades. The centre is authorised by the local health authority (ASL) in accordance with regional guidelines and regulations in Lazio. Committed "against the medicalisation of childbirth" and opposed to epidural anesthesia, the centre promotes hypnobirthing, a technique aimed at reducing pain during labour. "We strive to find a balance between traditional midwifery and contemporary maternity care" - Il Nido's website states - "We hold on dearly to proven traditional skills we learned so they are not lost, but we embrace and use the latest technology and testing available today." Il Nido also offers pre-natal and post-natal activities and courses in English and is well known to mothers and new parents among the international community in Rome.