The four-month-old grandson of football manager Steve Bruce died after an unregulated maternity nurse placed him in an unsafe sleeping position, an inquest reveals.
Tragic Incident Details
Madison Bruce Smith was discovered unresponsive by his father, former Leeds United and Fulham striker Matt Smith, on the morning of October 18, 2024, at the family home in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Paramedics rushed the infant to Wythenshawe Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Matt Smith and his wife, Amy—Steve Bruce’s daughter—hired Eva Clements through Ruthie Maternity Services to assist with their son’s afternoon sleep issues. The parents believed Clements was fully trained, vetted, and qualified, but the inquest at Stockport Coroner’s Court determined neither the nurse nor the company faced regulation.
Nurse Qualifications and Practices
Ruth Asare, head of Ruthie Maternity Services, holds no medical qualifications, only a first aid certificate and a Level 2 diploma in postnatal care from a three-day course and six-month project. Clements possesses a degree in early years education but lacks medical training.
The parents stated they would never have positioned their son as he was found, but Clements assured them all four of her children slept on their stomachs without issues. This advice contradicts NHS and health professional guidelines, which recommend back sleeping for infants.
Clements slept in a separate room and was supposed to monitor the baby but failed to check despite hearing him stir and cry overnight.
Coroner’s Verdict and Recommendations
Senior coroner for South Manchester, Alison Mutch, delivered a narrative conclusion: “Madison died in circumstances where his cause of death could not be ascertained while asleep in his cot, having been placed in a prone and unsafe sleeping position.”
Mutch urged regulation of such services, stating: “I hope the services can be regulated and, going forward, parents are not left in a situation where they believe they are employing someone who is qualified to advise them when they are clearly unqualified.”
Family’s Grief and Demands
Madison’s parents, Steve Bruce, and his son, former footballer Alex Bruce, attended the hearing. In a statement, Alex expressed: “Losing Madison has been utterly excruciating. The pain is indescribable and often too much to bear. It has totally shattered our entire family. We believe that Madison died in a complete regulatory vacuum. Without regulation, this will happen again, and other parents will place trust in individuals who should not be in the care of infants.”
Asare claimed her trainees received safe sleeping instructions to place babies on their backs, but Clements insisted Asare taught tummy sleeping. Clements denied posing as a nurse or convincing the mother the prone position was safe.
Industry Push for Safeguards
The National Nanny Association highlighted the regulatory gap: “We share the grave concern that this tragedy occurred within what has been described as a complete regulatory vacuum. Without mandatory safeguards, minimum training requirements, and clear accountability, families are being placed in a position where they may unknowingly entrust their children to individuals who are not suitably qualified.”
The association advocates for mandatory DBS checks for nannies, maternity nurses, and childcare providers, along with minimum training standards, a national register, and robust safeguarding enforcement.
