Baby dies after symptoms were initially blamed on 'teething and milk allergy'

A baby tragically died from a brain tumour after his initial symptoms were mistaken by doctors for a "milk allergy" and "teething". Louie Moss failed to reach developmental milestones and struggled with weight gain at four months old, leading doctors to suspect an allergy related to the dairy milk consumed during breastfeeding.

Despite further issues, including vomiting, treatments such as antibiotics and milk substitutes did not improve the youngster from Peterborough's health. As his condition worsened, doctors performed a lumbar puncture which indicated elevated white blood cell levels, before a subsequent CT scan tragically found a significant brain tumour.

Louie suffered a cardiac arrest but survived, later undergoing emergency surgery at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge to drain fluid from his brain, followed by another procedure that removed over 80% of the tumour.

Unfortunately, a scan two weeks later showed the tumour had regrown to its original size. At six months old, in April 2022, Louie sadly died at the East Anglia Children’s Hospice in Milton, Cambridgeshire.

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His father, Robert, said: “Raising Louie was different to what me and my fiancée Molly had experienced with our eldest son, Eli. We expected Louie’s symptoms to settle, but they didn’t.

“We were in disbelief at the news he had a brain tumour. I didn’t know much about the disease and to think my baby who was just months old had one was shocking.

“From our experience, I think it’s harder for doctors to spot a brain tumour in a baby. They thought he could have a cold or was teething. Our doctor even said that in his whole career they’d never seen anything like it before.”

Louie, born on October 18 2021, failed to gain weight at four months old and was vomiting frequently before he was diagnosed.

Robert said: “We were given the option to try chemotherapy but were advised that ultimately, Louie's diagnosis was terminal. After being told our son had possibly only weeks to live, we decided it was in his best interest not to exercise this option.

“We felt putting a baby through chemo and seeing how relentless his tumour was we were fighting a losing battle. It’s a decision you never expect to have to make as a parent and it was a deeply traumatic experience."

Robert, who works for local council, has signed up to run a marathon despite only completing a half marathon before - more than a decade ago.

"It’s sometimes a bit tricky to balance working, being a dad and training but the support of other runners all doing it for the same cause has been a great support," said Robert, who has two more children aged eight, and 10 months.

“It’s go big or go home with this challenge. I wanted to do something that was a proper challenge for me, a proper way to honour Louie’s life."

He added: "My reason for running is so that when a patient is diagnosed in the future, they have are given every opportunity to attain a positive outcome.”

Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “It’s desperately sad to hear Louie’s story.

“Brain tumours kill more children than leukaemia and There are more than 100 different types of brain tumour, making them notoriously difficult to find effective treatments for.

“We’re determined to change that but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, a cure."

To donate to Brain Tumour Research via Robert’s London Marathon challenge, click here.