Police in northeastern Brazil are investigating the death of a four-month-old baby following allegations that a hospital worker connected his milk supply to an intravenous line instead of the tube used for feeding.
Miguel Angelo Barbosa died on October 20, 2026, at Hospital Memorial de Goiana, a private medical facility in Goiana, Pernambuco, where he had been receiving treatment for bronchiolitis.
The infant had been admitted on October 11 with the respiratory illness, which affects the small airways in the lungs and can make breathing difficult, particularly in young children.
According to his family, Miguel had been showing signs of improvement and was awaiting further medical assessments to establish whether he was ready to leave hospital.
His paternal aunt, Meyre Gabriela da Silva, had been staying with him as his mother recovered from surgery to remove her appendix.
The family says the incident happened at around 4am on October 20, when Meyre briefly left the room to use the bathroom. When she returned, she found the baby crying, struggling and turning purple, prompting her to call medical staff.
Meyre alleged that she noticed Miguel's milk supply had been connected to an intravenous line rather than the feeding tube inserted through his nose to deliver food directly into his stomach.
The intravenous line was intended for administering medication and fluids. The family believes the alleged mix-up may have contributed to the baby's death, but the exact medical cause has not yet been established.
Medical staff reportedly attempted to resuscitate Miguel for more than an hour, but he could not be saved.
The Pernambuco Civil Police registered the case as a homicide on October 21 and opened an investigation to establish what happened and determine the circumstances surrounding the infant's death. The classification allows investigators to examine whether another person's actions may have contributed to the death; it does not amount to a finding of criminal responsibility.
The family has demanded accountability, claiming that the healthcare worker involved acknowledged connecting the milk supply to the wrong line. However, this claim remains an allegation and has not been independently confirmed by investigators.
Hospital management said the employee involved had been suspended as its patient-safety team conducted an internal investigation. The facility also expressed condolences to the family and pledged to cooperate with the police inquiry.
Miguel's body was taken for a forensic examination before being released to his relatives. He was buried on October 22.
Investigators are expected to rely on the forensic findings, medical records and accounts from hospital staff to establish the cause of death and whether the alleged feeding-line error played a role.
For now, the family’s account and the hospital's internal findings remain subject to investigation, with no final determination publicly established on what caused the infant's death.
