Babies ‘just go to sleep and don’t take the next breath’

BABIES who are victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome just go to sleep and don’t take the next breath, assistant State pathologist Dr Margot Bolster told an inquest, in Tralee, yesterday.

The parents of 18-month-old Jack Howarth told of how they found him dead in his cot at their home on the morning of February 1 last.

Timothy Howarth, of Long Acre, Annagh Lawn, Tralee, said goodnight to Jack before putting him to bed at 11pm, the night before.

He did not see him again until 8.35am. He found the child to be cold and stiff and cried out: “Oh, my baby boy.” He tried to resuscitate the child, but without success.

Mr Howarth’s partner, Elaine Flynn, said she heard him cry out and she tried to resuscitate her baby.

Dr Bolster, who carried out a post-mortem, said Jack was a well nourished baby. Several tests were done and he was found to have no abnormalities.

She told the couple there was only a very minute risk of this happening to them again - much the same risk as if they never had a cot death. No genetic abnormality had been found.

Dr Bolster said when babies die in such a way, they just go to sleep and don’t take the next breath.

“We don’t know why, but there’s no suffering at all. They just go to sleep and never wake up,” she said.

There was no cause for such deaths, she pointed out.

Coroner Helen Lucey said future research may come up with an explanation. “Dr Bolster ordered every possible test and every avenue of investigation. In cases involving other parents, it’s obviously desirable that every possible test is carried out,” she said.