One of the four babies exposed to active tuberculosis at the Canberra Hospital in September died there yesterday morning.
The death of 14-week-old Douglas ''DJ'' Franco-Gill, who was born 10 weeks premature, is subject to a coronial investigation.
Between August and September four newborns were exposed to the multi-drug resistant strain of tuberculosis in the antenatal unit by an undiagnosed new father.
DJ was admitted to the Canberra Hospital last Wednesday. He was discharged on Saturday and saw a specialist on Tuesday.
His mother, Kylea Gill, 22, said yesterday ACT Health did not take her concerns about DJ's deteriorating health seriously.
''They told me it was reflux, but my little boy turned blue and we took him to hospital on Wednesday. They said it was nothing serious and discharged him, and now he is dead,'' Ms Gill said.
ACT Health declined requests for an interview and issued this statement: ''We have been advised of the death of an infant. The matter is subject to coronial investigation. We will be making no further comment.'' Health Minister Katy Gallagher also declined to comment.
An ambulance was called to the family's Calwell home before 7am yesterday where the family and a neighbour had been performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the infant.
He was taken to hospital but pronounced dead at 8am. Ms Gill felt compelled to speak out because she feared for the health of the other children exposed to active tuberculosis.
The newborns were treated with anti-tuberculosis medication but this was discontinued after ACT Health learnt the drugs were useless against the multi-drug resistant strain of tuberculosis.
''He was a different child after we started giving him the medication. No-one listened to me, they told me it was reflux, but I knew something was wrong.''
DJ's paternal grandfather, Peter Richardson, said the death was not sudden infant death syndrome and should be investigated.
''When you've got a kid that's stopped breathing on two prior occasions and had some sort of foetal seizure that's not a SIDS death,'' Mr Richardson said.
Ms Gill said if DJ was still in hospital he would be alive today.
Opposition health spokesman Jeremy Hanson called on the coronial investigation to be completed quickly so other exposed children were not be put at further risk if it revealed a problem.
Ms Gill wants ACT Health to address her concerns.
''The hospital needs to come forward especially Katy Gallagher and give me answers ... I've now lost something so precious that I could never replace. I could have another 50 kids, but you know what, it would not replace my son. It does not replace the little boy we had and the personality that goes with that and just him himself. He was one very very unique child.''
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