Huddersfield coroner Roger Whittaker criticises Kirklees social services following Milnsbridge baby death
He said Andrew had accepted that Mia had gone to sleep on his chest and that he had intended to put her in the Moses basket when she had “settled down” after feeding her.
Mr Whittaker added: “For whatever reason, he fell asleep.
“All parents are tired when they first have a baby.
“That was one of the reasons Andrew had offered to help feed the baby that morning.”
Mr Whittaker told the inquest he was concerned community services had ignored concerns raised by the specialist drug liaison midwife.
He said: “Having heard the evidence this morning, the views of a very well-experienced drug liaison midwife, Janet Woodhouse, were over-ruled and the child was allowed to return home with her parents.
“I think even the parents in hindsight would have accepted one of the parenting workshops.”
Mr Whittaker said he was “extremely surprised” that the Mia had been allowed to return home with her parents.
He said: “I shall be writing to the local authority to point out this particular problem and ask them to deal with the issues in a different way.”
Mr Whittaker recorded a verdict of accidental death.
He said: “The circumstances of Mia’s death lead me to only one conclusion.
“Both parents were doing the best they could but sadly this tragic accident caused the baby’s death.”
A spokesman for Kirklees Council said after the inquest: “The sympathies of all involved in this sad case are with the family at this time.
“This was an extremely sad care in which a four-week-old girl died as a result of co-sleeping with her father.
“As the Serious Case Review confirms, there was no evidence of physical injury, systematic neglect or of the professionals involved showing a lack of due care and concern with regard to protective arrangements.
“Both parents were at the time of the baby’s birth not using heroin but following a methadone programme under medical supervision.
“The parents were working with all professionals and the baby was subject to a multi-agency Child Protection plan, which included daily visits by professionals to the family home, and that between the date of discharge from hospital and her death, professionals did not express any concerns about either parents’ ability to care for the baby.
“The Serious Case Review highlights that co-sleeping as a potential risk had been identified and the parents had been advised accordingly.
“Tragically, the little girl died as the result of a single incident which could only have been avoided by continuous monitoring of the family or the child’s removal from her parents’ care.”
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