Baby boy died after his parents attempted to treat his ‘faltering growth’ at home
Parents who noticed their infant’s “cheeks were going flat” and monitored his weight at home for days, did not seek emergency help until he stopped breathing.
A finding released by Coroner Ian Telford detailed the death of Azariah Levi, who was 11 weeks old when he died at Waikato Hospital on November 16, 2023. Azariah died from “faltering growth” likely linked to an undetermined metabolic disorder, despite his parents providing what a pathologist described as adequate nutrition.
The boy was born at home without midwifery support because his parents deeply mistrusted the health system. His mother, Ariana Levi, believed clinical errors during a previous pregnancy had caused long-term health problems for another child.
Azariah appeared healthy at birth, but photographic evidence showed he began to look “gaunt” and lose facial fat by 4½ weeks. By the time he died at 11 weeks, he weighed approximately 3kg — about the same as a newborn.
His parents, Ariana and Allan Levi, noticed him becoming unsettled on November 12. By the following day, his feeding had reduced and they noticed his cheeks flattening. They began weighing him and tried to increase feeding to every hour to get his weight back. Police later found a diary documenting these feeds, along with a stethoscope and an audio recording of a prayer for his healing.
At 6pm on November 15, the parents saw Azariah struggling to breathe and noted his lips were turning blue. While they decided he needed a hospital, they did not leave immediately. An ambulance was only called at 11.24pm after the infant stopped breathing altogether.
Police investigated the death but determined no criminal liability could be established.
Coroner Telford recorded the cause of death as unascertained but ruled the death was preventable. The coroner said while the parents were clearly observing the boy and taking steps they believed would help, the case highlighted the “vital role” of regular monitoring by health professionals.
“Timely medical intervention would, in my assessment, have likely altered the course of events,” the coroner said.
The coroner recommended that all parents enrol infants in free Well-Child Tamariki Ora services and seek immediate 111 assistance if a child has blue lips, struggles to breathe, or experiences pauses in breathing.
