A 22-month-old boy died after developing a severe brain injury during his birth caused by a lack of oxygen, an inquest has heard.

Noah James Sullivan experienced complications after being born on 23 December 2023 at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital's Tirion Birthing Centre.

An inquest into his death is set to examine whether there were failings in his delivery and resuscitation, with his family also asking it to look at treatment Noah received weeks before his death.

Coroner Rachel Knight told a pre-inquest review at Pontypridd Coroner's Court on Wednesday that a five-day inquest to be held in 2027 would focus on events before, during and after Noah's delivery.

The hearing was told Noah had developed hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), a brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen, with court documents showing Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board had accepted a delayed delivery of his head was likely to have caused the condition.

The inquest is expected to examine whether a breech presentation, where a baby is lying bottom or feet-first in the uterus instead of head-first as full-term pregnancy approaches, should have been identified by staff during pregnancy.

Lawyers representing Noah's parents said it should have prompted a referral to the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, where obstetric care had been available for more complicated births.

The inquest will also look at the antenatal care provided at the birthing centre, the timeliness of emergency escalation and transfer arrangements, and whether a Caesarean section was needed.

Vanessa Cashman, who represented Noah's parents Ffion James and Ben Sullivan, from Pontypridd, said there had been concerns that delays during Noah's resuscitation might have worsened his injury.

She told the hearing Noah had not been intubated until 14 minutes after birth, had not received adrenalin for about 20 minutes, and that it had taken about 21 minutes for his heart rate to be restored.

She said the family wanted the inquest to consider Noah's treatment in the weeks before his death at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, including whether he should have been discharged.

The coroner said additional medical records would be obtained before deciding whether those matters should formally form part of the inquest's scope.

Cashman also said the family wanted the treatment Noah received for an illness before he died to be examined, and requested data and audits on maternity transfers from the birthing centre as well as information about the centre's recent closure.

Rachel Segal, representing Cwm Taf Morgannwg, said the closure had been due to staffing pressures and difficulties recruiting and retaining staff, rather than Noah's case.

She said the decision to stop births at the unit was due to be reviewed in the coming weeks.

Tirion Birthing Centre opened in 2019 when its health board revamped maternity care, with consultant doctors at the Royal Glamorgan having previously worked there to provide women with neonatal care.

The services were relocated and centralised at the Princess of Wales Hospital and Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.

The coroner ordered that witness statements, policy documents and medical records be disclosed by 28 October, with a further pre-inquest review hearing expected later this year.