Premature Baby
The premature babies were in neo-natal care in hospitals across England. Reuters

Three more babies have suffered blood poisoning from contaminated hospital drips, it has been confirmed.

One child had died and 14 others were taken ill as a result of the feed, it was reported yesterday. (June 4)

The number of children taken ill has now risen to 18, as officials have reported a further case of the infection at Peterborough City Hospital in Cambridgeshire, and two suspected cases at Southend University Hospital and Basildon University Hospital, both in Essex.

The new borns were being cared for in neonatal intensive care units at hospitals across England when they were given the deadly feed.

The infants were infected with a bacteria known as Bacillus cereus, which swiftly led to septicaemia.

Public Health England (PHE) said the cases have been "strongly linked" with a number of batches of a liquid called 'parenteral nutrition', which was fed to the babies intravenously, as they could not be mouth fed.

We're confident any remaining stock of this medicine is not being used in hospitals.
- Public Health England

The news comes as the name of the baby who died in intensive care at St Thomas' Hospital in central London, was revealed.

The premature baby was nine day old Yousef Al-Kharboush. It is believed he was given feed just over a week after he was born.

Announcing Yousef's death today, a spokesman for the Inner South London coroner said: "The death of Yousef Al-Kharboush, aged nine days, of London Bridge area, Southwark, on 1st June 2014 at St Thomas Hospital, has been reported to the coroner.

"An investigation was opened on 5th June 2014 by the Senior Coroner, as he has reason to suspect that the deceased died an unnatural death."

The PHE spokesman warned more cases may be reported in babies who developed an infection last week or over the weekend but added: "We're confident any remaining stock of this medicine is not being used in hospitals."

The infected feed was sent to 22 hospitals across Britain.

It was sent to10 hospitals across London including: Chelsea and Westminster, Hillingdon, The Harley Street Clinic, Homerton, King's College, The Portland, Royal Brompton, St Thomas's, St George's and the Whittington.

The suspected contaminated batch was also sent to four hospitals in East Anglia including: Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, Basildon Hospital, Peterborough Hospital and Southend Hospital.

Two affected hospitals in the West Midlands are Birmingham Heartlands and Russell's Hall Hospital in Dudley.

The suspect batch was also sent to Lister Hospital in Stevenage and Luton and Dunstable Hospital, Royal Sussex County Hospital and St Peter's in Chertsey, Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire and Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

The babies, who became unwell last week, are responding to antibiotic treatment, a PHE spokeswoman said.