A new mother and her baby were found dead on a cliff face after she was advised to stop taking an anti-psychotic medication so she could breastfeed. Charlotte Bevan had come off risperidone – a powerful drug used to treat illnesses including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder – before her daughter Zaani was born late last year. Four days after the birth, the 30-year-old walked out of Bristol maternity hospital without shoes or a coat and with her baby girl in her arms. Exit: Four days after giving birth, 30-year-old Charlotte Bevan (left) was able to walk out of Bristol Maternity Hospital without shoes or a coat and with her baby girl in her arms (right) The next day, police found her body two miles away on a cliff face of the gorge near the Clifton suspension bridge. Newborn Zaani Tiana Bevan Malbrouck was later found close by. It emerged yesterday that Miss Bevan – who is believed to have had a history of severe mental health problems – had been advised by medics to stop taking the drug ahead of Zaani’s birth. NHS guidance says mothers should take risperidone during pregnancy only if their doctor says they need to. It adds: ‘If you take this medicine during the late stages of pregnancy or during labour, your baby may have some problems or withdrawal symptoms and may need to have some monitoring after birth.’ At a pre-inquest hearing yesterday, Avon senior coroner Maria Voisin said ‘breastfeeding advice given in relation to (Miss Bevan’s) risperidone’ was an issue she wanted to explore in an effort to prevent future deaths. Discovery: After a huge search, police found Miss Bevan's body two miles away on a cliff face of the gorge near Clifton Suspension Bridge. Newborn Zaani Tiana Bevan Malbrouck was later found close by . She said: ‘She was not taking risperidone – what action was being taken and what impact was that having on her mental health?’ The coroner also said there were further questions for the hospital to answer, adding: ‘The ward she was on - was it appropriate for her to be on and were all the staff trained and able to deal with her needs? ‘Obviously there is the issue of Charlotte managing to leave the ward and the hospital unnoticed and unmanaged.’ University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust launched a review into the care it offered Miss Bevan and her baby following their deaths in December. Immediately after Miss Bevan disappeared, friends and family said she had battled depression since her father’s sudden death from a brain tumour in 2000. And it was suggested she had suffered a decline in mental health due coming off medication. Miss Bevan’s boyfriend Pascal Malbrouck, her mother Rachel Fortune, and her sister were among the family at the short pre-inquest review held at Avon Coroner’s Court in Flax Bourton near Bristol. Plea: Miss Bevan’s boyfriend Pascal Malbrouck (left) and her mother Rachel Fortune (right) at a police press conference in December 2014 appealing for Miss Bevan and her baby to return after they disappeared . Family: Miss Bevan, who was found dead last year, is pictured with Mr Malbrouck (left) and Ms Fortune (right) When asked if she wanted anything raised at the inquest, Ms Fortune said her daughter had asked that Mr Malbrouck was not there during the birth. Investigation: An Avon and Somerset search and rescue team member works with police to search an area near Avon Gorge in Bristol in December 2014 . She said: ‘I think it needs to be said that Charlotte decided Pascal was not present and I think that needs to be said. I think that says something.’ The coroner also expressed her dismay when a Bristol hospitals trust representative said she still had little information on which medical witnesses would be called and what evidence they would offer. Trust representative Caroline Saunders said Avon and Somerset Police were gathering statements from health staff and they had not been passed on to her yet. But coroner Ms Voisin, who said another pre-inquest hearing would now have to be held in around two months, said: ‘I would normally expect the Trust to be much more familiar with at least the chronology and the staff involved – not passing that over to the police.’ She said it was also now unlikely the full inquest in to both deaths will take place until after the summer holidays. And she said to Miss Bevan’s family: ‘There is a lot more work to do and I am sorry if you think it is a slow process but I think in this case we should take things a little more slowly, a little more carefully, to ensure the best for Charlotte and Zaani.’ Among those witnesses expected to provide evidence at the inquest will be Miss Bevan’s care co-ordinators, midwives, a hospital porter, and a consultant psychiatrist.
Charlotte Bevan, 30, walked out of hospital in Bristol with daughter Zaani . Had come off risperidone used to treat illnesses including schizophrenia . Miss Bevan was advised by medics to stop taking the drug ahead of birth . Coroner also said there were further questions for the hospital to answer . For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details .