Baby boy died strapped in pushchair while his mum smoked cannabis

A BABY boy died after being strapped to a pushchair for 12 hours and covered in blankets – while his mum smoked cannabis.

The three-month-old baby was left in his Rochdale home between 1am and 2am, while his mum went to a local garage. He was rushed to hospital in cardiac arrest the following morning after being found unresponsive with a blanket over his head. He died in hospital a short time later.

A serious-case review has now revealed that the child’s mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took cannabis as he slept.

She is one of an increasing number of parents who are smoking cannabis while bearing or raising young children, according to a report by Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board.

A criminal investigation into ‘Child E’s’ death in September las year is ongoing. The baby’s mum, who has two other children aged seven and four, took cocaine and cannabis during her pregnancy with ‘Child E.’

She admitted her drug habit to a midwife at Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust, but no further action was taken because she had told social workers she was no longer using drugs.

A specialist midwife should have been appointed when the mother confessed to using drugs, but the information was not acted upon.

“The substance misuse by [the mother] contributed to her impaired ability to provide safe care for Child E who was left for twelve hours without checking in an unsafe sleeping environment,” the review states. “The presence of a specialist midwife for substance misuse would have continually re-enforced the messages [she] required and may have eroded her conscious and subconscious attitude to the use of drugs alongside the care of children.”

Child E’s mother was given detailed advice on safe sleeping on three occasions, the review states.

When a health visitor attended Child E’s home in the days after his birth they found the house ‘clean, warm and welcoming.’ Safe sleeping a passive smoking were discussed at that time.

During another visit, Child E was found sleeping in a moses basket, ‘lying with a quilt nestled around the sleeping area.’ His mother was advised to remove the quilt as it ‘posed a risk to overheating and suffocation’ and safe sleep advice was reaffirmed for a third time and written information given.

“She did not heed this advice with fatal consequences for Child E,” the review states.

An increasing number of parents are smoking cannabis while pregnant, or while raising children, according to the safeguarding board.