Emily Rose Carr died in hospital on April 6 of this year despite intensive medical efforts to save her life at birth and afterwards.

The inquest heard that Emily Rose's mother, Helen Carr, of Kensington Road, Morecambe, who has four other children, was unaware that she was even pregnant until her waters broke on April 5.

Helen, an insulin dependent diabetic, had her blood and urine tested regularly at the diabetic clinic at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, but the pregnancy was not detected because tests would not look for the pregnancy hormone.

Dr Carolyn North, a registrar in obstetrics, told the inquest she performed a number of emergency procedures during the birth to allow the baby to be delivered.

But she became stuck in the birth canal and her condition deteriorated. She said: "The problems at the birth could not be predicted until they occurred.

"Even if you had known everything, and changed medication, it still could have been the same outcome. The baby was stuck in the birth canal for five minutes and 47 per cent of babies will not survive five minutes without blood and oxygen."

Emily survived 16 hours after she was born.

Dr Stephen Cade, a consultant paediatrician at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, told the inquest Emily died from lack of oxygen and multi-organ failure.

Assistant deputy coroner for Preston and North Lancashire, Derek Baker said: "You were unaware of the pregnancy and it may well have made no difference in any event.

"There is no evidence that not attending clinics led to the sad death of Emily Rose."

The coroner recorded a verdict of natural causes.