A baby, found to be in good health by a nurse just a day before tragedy, died 'with no evidence of prior illness or injuries which could have contributed'.
The mystery came just two months after he was born via emergency caesarean section when his mother suffered a devastating blood clot - and died herself. Mum Laura Barnes had been hit with a stroke months earlier.
Baby Dexter Khan-Barnes was born prematurely at 32 weeks on May 29, 2022, as his mother died. Laura Barnes' own mother, Jennifer, said her daughter only ever wanted to be a mum - but added that the mum and son are now together, having been robbed of the chance to meet in their lifetimes.
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Dexter was found dead at his home in Rishton, near Accrington, last July. An inquest at Blackburn Old Town Hall on Wednesday (June 7) heard that no cause of death could be identified, reports LancsLive.
After his difficult birth, baby Dexter had spent around six weeks in the neonatal unit before being discharged with dad Shane Khan. The day before his death, Dexter was checked over by a nurse who visited the house and found him to be in good health.
That night, Mr Khan took him upstairs with two bottles ready for when he woke up in the night, as he had done the previous night. Dexter was placed in his father's bed, alongside his 14-month-old brother, with Mr Khan saying he started the night sleeping horizontally across the foot of the bed.
Summing up evidence from the investigation, coroner Richard Taylor said Mr Khan had moved to lay next to Dexter at around 4am and awoke again at around 5.30am. At that point, he thought it unusual that Dexter's arm was not moving as he normally would when hungry.
He then noticed the baby's arms were floppy and his eyes discoloured. Emergency services were called to the house and Dexter was rushed to the Royal Blackburn Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A post-mortem carried out by pathologist Dr William Simmons was unable to ascertain a cause of death and found no evidence of prior illness or injuries which could have contributed.
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