During the retrial of Lucy Letby, a nurse testified that some babies are capable of dislodging their own breathing tubes. Letby, a former nurse, faces allegations at Manchester Crown Court related to a baby girl whose breathing tube was reportedly displaced during a night shift at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit.

Lucy Letby, 34, is accused of attempting to murder this infant, known as Child K, after the designated nurse had left to update the parents. Child K, born at 25 weeks gestation and weighing 692g, experienced a sudden decline when her blood oxygen levels dropped without triggering alarms, according to consultant paediatrician Dr. Ravi Jayaram.

Dr. Jayaram reported seeing no evidence of assistance from Letby during this critical moment. On June 20, nurse Joanne Williams testified that she could not remember assigning anyone to monitor Child K during her brief absence at around 3:30am. However, historical door swipe data confirmed her re-entry at 3:47am, coinciding with alarm activations.

It was noted in the nursing records that there was a query over the potential dislodgement of the endotracheal tube. Williams stated that it is possible for babies to dislodge tubes themselves, especially if they are active, although she had limited experience with such premature infants.

Child K was transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital later on February 17 and unfortunately passed away three days later. However, Letby is not accused of causing the death. She maintains her innocence concerning the attempted murder charge.

Previously, Letby had been convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others between June 2015 and June 2016 at the same hospital.

The trial continues.