Baby death sleep alert

THE sudden death of a five-month-old baby in Bridgewater last year has prompted a dire warning to parents to avoid co-sleeping, after it was found the baby’s sleeping environment contributed to her death.

“Baby BR” died in February last year, but the exact cause of her death was unable to be determined.

Records from the Child Health and Parenting Service showed BR’s mother, “DP”, had received advice about safe sleeping several times, including that BR sleep in a safe cot in her parents’ room.

DP was also provided advice about cigarettes as she smoked about 10 a day during her pregnancy and after BR’s birth. BR had a cot in her mother’s room, but when the baby and her threeyear-old sister would wake for their first feed, DP and her partner “LV” would set the children to sleep in a queen-sized bed with them until the morning.

On the evening before BR’s death, the baby was put to sleep at 7.30pm and the children woke for a feed between 12.30am and 1am. After the feed, BR was placed in the bed between LV and DP for the rest of the night.

LV left for work at 6.30am and did not notice the baby. When the mother woke up at 7.10am, BR was lifeless. She called an ambulance and sought help from a neighbour who attempted CPR, but when paramedics arrive she could not be resuscitated.

Forensic investigators could not find any sign of trauma on BR’s body and an exact cause of death could not be found.

An autopsy revealed traces of nicotine, which the investigator said could have been from tobacco being smoked in the baby’s presence or from breastmilk.

Ms McTaggart found the baby did not die as a result of inflicted violence or injury, but that co-sleeping was likely a contributing factor.

“There is significant evidence that BR died in an unsafe sleeping environment involving the risk of suffocation by adult bedding or the bodies of others in the bed,” Ms McTaggart said.

“I am satisfied that the sleeping environment did, at the very least, contribute to BR’s death by restricting her breathing. I cannot determine, however, exactly how it contributed.”

She said there had been many warnings in the past about the potentially fatal risks of co-sleeping.

“Unfortunately, this practice continues and results in preventable death.

“In this case, it is likely that BR would not have died if she had been in her own cot with appropriate bedding,” Ms McTaggart said.