A “BEAUTIFUL” baby boy was found unresponsive in his parents’ bed after his mum fell asleep while cuddling him, an inquest heard.
Leo’s mother, Jordan, recalls waking to Leon Shaun Williams crying at 1:30am before she fell back asleep with him in her arms in her bed.
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She had picked him up from his crib and “cuddled him into her” before settling back into her bed again, with Leo, coroner’s officer Keeley Mason, said.
Just three hours later, at 4:30am, Jordan woke to find the five-month-old lying face-down beside her, WalesOnline reports.
When she turned him over she discovered that he was unresponsive.
She called 999 and began CPR, but paramedics later pronounced Leo dead at the scene on November 12, 2023.
A provisional cause of death was given as unexplained sudden infant death syndrome, also called SIDS.
Assistant coroner for South Wales Kerrie Burge adjourned the hearing for a full inquest to take place at a later date, which is yet to be confirmed.
She said: “Based on the evidence presented this morning I am satisfied it is necessary to open an inquest into the death of Leo Shaun Williams.
“There is reason to suspect his death is unnatural pending further investigation.
“The inquest will be adjourned to a future date.”
She offered her condolences to Leo’s family following their very sad loss.
Family members have launched a GoFundMe page to support the couple while they grieve – which has already raised over £5,000.
“A few days ago, my brother Liam and his partner Jordan lost their beautiful little boy Leo”, Leo’s sister Rachael Williams wrote on the site.
“Words cannot describe the absolute devastation they are currently feeling.”
“No parent should have to face what they are going through.”
Sudden infant death syndrome: how to keep your baby safe
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexpected death of a baby under the age of 12 months where no cause is found.
While doctors don’t know exactly what triggers it, there are ways to significantly reduce the chances of SIDS occurring:
- Put your baby on their back for all sleeps – day and night
- Share a room with your baby for the first six months
- Place your baby on their own, clear, flat sleep surface (e.g. cot or Moses basket)
- Keep your baby smoke-free during pregnancy and after birth
- Never sleep on a sofa or armchair
- Do not co-sleep if you or anyone in the bed has been drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking drugs or medication that makes you drowsy
These things are especially important for babies who were born prematurely or of a low birth weight, as they are typically at higher risk of SIDS.
Source: The Lullaby Trust
SIDS, also known as cot death, is the unexpected and unexplained death of a healthy baby within the first year of life.
In the UK, around 200 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every year, according to the NHS.
It typically occurs within the first six months of a baby’s life and usually when they are sleeping.
