The death of four-month-old Madison Bruce Smith, grandson of football manager Steve Bruce, has prompted urgent calls for regulation of untrained maternity services. Madison was found unresponsive by his father, ex-Leeds United and Fulham striker Matt Smith, on 18 October 2024 at the family home in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, Madison was pronounced dead at Wythenshawe Hospital.
Madison’s parents had employed Eva Clements through Ruthie Maternity Services to assist with their son’s sleep. Believing Clements to be fully trained and vetted, they followed her advice to place Madison on his stomach—a position considered unsafe for infants by NHS guidelines. The Stockport Coroner’s Court heard that such services were unregulated, and the coroner, Alison Mutch, warned that the “purported expertise” of untrained people poses risks to all children.
Police investigated and arrested Clements on suspicion of neglect, but the Crown Prosecution Service concluded the criminal threshold was not met, citing the lack of regulation and no evidence of wilful harm. Madison’s parents, alongside Steve Bruce and his son Alex, attended the hearing, describing their loss as devastating.
The coroner issued a prevention of future deaths report, urging that maternity and sleep support services be properly regulated to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Tags: Steve Bruce, Madison Bruce Smith, infant death, maternity services, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, child safety, Greater Manchester, coroner report, unregulated services
