A tragic newborn baby girl died after her mum fell asleep on the settee with her just weeks after leaving hospital.
Billy-Jo Mary-Jane Stewart was found 'lifeless' and 'pressed up against' her mum Tameka on the sofa at their home in Skelmersdale, in Lancashire, an inquest heard. She had fallen asleep in her mum's arms, before the new mum then fell asleep herself.
When Tameka realised her daughter was not responding, she ran into the street and screamed for help. A coroner described the baby's death as a 'very sad accident'.
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The inquest at Preston Coroners' Court heard how Billy-Jo was born at Ormskirk District General Hospital on October 21 in 2020. After she and her mum were discharged, they returned to the family home.
On the evening of November 17 in 2020, Tameka fed Billy-Jo before placing her back in the rocker at the side of the settee. At around 7am, she went to have a cigarette before returning to feed the baby.
Billy-Jo fell asleep in her mother's arms and Tameka fell asleep shortly afterwards. At around noon she woke up to find Billy-Jo 'lifeless'.
The baby was rushed to hospital where, despite resuscitation attempts, she was pronounced dead. When her mother was interviewed at the hospital by Detective Inspector Chris Wellard she admitted she had taken cocaine the day before, when she didn't have her two children with her, and a police investigation was launched.
DI Wellard told the inquest that although toxicology tests confirmed the presence of cocaine metabolites in her mother's system, there was insufficient evidence to charge her with an offence because it was impossible to say if she had been unresponsive at the time she was looking after Billy-Jo.
"When [she] noticed Billy-Jo was lifeless and not breathing she was pressed up against mum with her face pressed against mum's breast," DI Wellard told the inquest. "Tameka shouted and [her friends] came down.
"She took Billy-Jo into the street and screamed 'help' and went to a neighbour's address and an ambulance was called."
A post mortem carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour found no signs of injury or natural disease and the medical cause of death was given as overlaying. The inquest heard that although Billy-Jo's death had been a 'tragic accident, her mum had told police 'she was responsible for the death of Billy-Jo'.
Returning a conclusion of accidental death the coroner said: "Billy-Jo was being nursed by her mother, fell asleep and then sadly her mother also fell asleep. At some stage it would appear that Billy-Jo's mouth and nose must have been compromised and there must have been an obstruction preventing Billy-Jo from breathing.
"I can't see this as being anything other than a very sad accident. Billy-Jo Mary-Jane Stewart died on November 18 at her home having suffered an upper airways obstruction after falling asleep with her mother. My sympathies go out to the family."
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