The tragic death of a newborn baby at Sunshine Hospital could have been prevented if concerns raised by the mother had not been ignored, an inquiry has heard.

Cairnlea woman Linda Folwell, 42, said Western Health failed to investigate after she reported late in her eighth pregnancy that her baby, Emma, had become less active.

Final submissions at the inquest into Emma's death on Friday heard that Ms Folwell had reported from 34 weeks that her baby felt small and "was not a thrasher like her brothers". Ms Folwell, a mother of seven boys who was expecting her first girl, said she was told not to worry because the baby was "gentle and petite".

Ms Folwell was admitted full term to Sunshine Hospital on July 26, 2011 after calling her midwife to report slight pain and not "feeling right". Tests showed the baby was struggling and she was born about two and a half hours later in a "poor condition".

Emma was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit at The Royal Women's Hospital, where she died three days later. An autopsy found the cause of death was a hypoxic brain injury following chronic placental failure.