GOIANA, Brazil – Police in northeastern Brazil have launched a homicide investigation following the death of a four-month-old baby whose family alleges that a hospital worker mistakenly connected his milk supply to an intravenous line instead of his feeding tube.
Miguel Ângelo Barbosa died on October 20, 2026, at Hospital Memorial de Goiana, a private medical facility in Pernambuco state.
The infant had been admitted on October 11 for treatment of bronchiolitis, a respiratory infection that affects the small airways and can cause breathing difficulties in babies.
According to his relatives, Miguel had been responding to treatment and was awaiting further medical assessments that could determine whether he was ready to leave the hospital.
The circumstances surrounding his final hours have since become the subject of a police investigation, with the family demanding accountability over what they believe was a fatal medical error.
How the incident allegedly happened
Miguel’s paternal aunt, Meyre Gabriela da Silva, was accompanying him in the hospital because his mother was recovering from an emergency operation to remove her appendix.
Meyre told Brazilian media that the incident happened at around 4am on October 20, when she briefly left the hospital room to use the bathroom.
When she returned, she found the baby crying and struggling, with his skin reportedly turning purple and his mouth changing colour.
She immediately called medical staff for assistance.
The aunt alleged that she then noticed the milk supply, which was supposed to be administered through a feeding tube inserted through the baby’s nose, had been connected to an intravenous access used to deliver medication and fluids.
Brazilian media reports said Miguel had a separate nasal feeding tube and a venous line in his neck.
Medical personnel reportedly attempted to resuscitate him for more than an hour, but the baby died.
Meyre further alleged that the healthcare worker involved acknowledged connecting the milk to the wrong line when questioned by a doctor. The worker’s account and the precise sequence of events remain matters for investigators to establish.
Police register case as homicide
The Pernambuco Civil Police registered the case as a completed homicide on October 21 through the 44th Police Precinct in Goiana.
Authorities confirmed that a police inquiry had been opened to establish the circumstances of Miguel’s death.
The homicide classification is the category under which police are investigating the case; it does not amount to a finding that a particular person has committed a crime.
Investigators are expected to rely on witness statements and forensic findings to establish what happened and determine the cause of death.
Miguel’s body was examined by Brazil’s Institute of Legal Medicine before being released to his family. He was buried on October 22.
Reports from Brazilian media indicated that the forensic findings were expected to help clarify the cause of death.
Hospital suspends employee
Hospital Memorial de Goiana said it had suspended the employee involved and activated its patient-safety team to investigate the incident.
In a statement, the facility expressed condolences to Miguel’s parents and relatives and said it was available to cooperate fully with the authorities.
The hospital also said it regretted the adverse event and reaffirmed its commitment to medical practice and patient safety.
The family has called for those found responsible to be held accountable, saying the tragedy should never happen to another child.
