A heartbroken mum died just hours after her five-month-old baby son passed away, an inquest into the pair's deaths has heard.
Viktorija Mardosiene was screaming "kill me" while rocking back and forth after her son tragically died having been admitted to a mental health unit shortly after his death.
Emergency services rushed to the home the of 32-year-old shared with her young son, Kevin Deguitas, on August 9 last year. The Latvian national called 999 to say Kevin was cold and not breathing.
Medics battled to save him but he was pronounced dead after arriving at Royal Stoke University Hospital, with the cause of death now thought to be 'co-sleeping', where a child dies unexpectedly while sleeping with the parent.
Viktorija, from Dunkirk, checked into the mental health unit as she was struggling to come to terms with her loss - but while there, she went into cardiac arrest and died at the same hospital as her son.
The inquest into their deaths have been opened with "further research needed" by North Staffordshire coroner Duncan Richie, Stoke on Trent Live reports.
PC Tyler Lowe gave a statement during the inquest into the baby's death. He described the harrowing moment paramedics were working on the youngster while police watched on.
"The living room was extremely cluttered with boxes and toys all over the floor," he said. "We heard from the paramedics that he was not getting any air and a tube was inserted into his mouth and throat.
"We approached Viktorija to make inquiries, she said 'no English'. We kept some distance. She was on the phone to the baby's father asking 'is my baby dead?'. She began to cry.
"We heard how she had taken the baby to bed, sleeping, at 11pm. At 1.34am we heard doctors had ceased CPR and stopped life care. Viktorija was then conveyed to hospital."
The house was "in some state of disarray", according to DC Craig Flowers, from Staffordshire Police's child protection unit.
He said: "It would be fair to say the house was found in some state of disarray. I went to the address the day after and can confirm she was sleeping in a double bed. There were empty cans of alcohol in the bedroom.
"Viktorija was breathalysed at the scene and her level was found to be 40mg/ml. The drink driving limit is 35. It is fair to state she was in an understandably upset state. She was screaming, shouting and rocking back and forth screaming 'kill me'. There had been concerns about domestic issues in the past. There was a history of contact between emergency services and the couple."
Consultant paediatric pathologist Dr Roger Malcomson explained the post mortem on Kevin. He said: “There were no significant internal or external injuries. His body weight was average and his head circumference was small, relatively, and his body length was long for his age. There was no abnormal pattern of growth and he was adequately nourished.
"His internal organs were normally arranged and there was no metabolic abnormality. There was no significant finding, there was a mild degree of congestion and some small haemorrhages but we see those very frequently and they are very difficult to ascribe cause.
"What we are left with is a baby who has died co-sleeping with a parent. There is no specific medical cause of death after a comprehensive autopsy. There are problems associated with co-sleeping including overlaying. There is also a risk of hypothermia and restricting of airways. There is nothing sufficient to suggest a specific cause of death.
"I would consider an unascertained cause of death. With the debate of if this was a natural or unnatural death, I don't think there is sufficient evidence to suggest either way."
The inquest into Viktorija's death said she was complaining of chest pains after being admitted to the mental health unit voluntarily. She suddenly collapsed and was confirmed dead at 3.53pm - 14 hours after her son died.
"She was met by the deputy ward manager and had periods where she was distressed and crying uncontrollably," said Dr Oluwafemi Popoola, a specialist in psychiatry. "However, she did engage well with the service. She had an elevated blood pressure. She collapsed in the hospital and CPR was done. Paramedics arrived at 3.05pm and took her to Royal Stoke with a suspected cardiac arrest.
"She had not reported any self-harm or suicide prior to the death of her son. However she was saying 'kill me'. She had no previous contact with mental health services. She was given diazepam before her death. The dosage was the appropriate and safe amount given."
A toxicologist's report showed a small amount of diazepam in her system, but there were no traces of other drugs or alcohol, or enough diazepam to indicate drug toxicity.
Dr Andrew Hitchcock, who carried out a post-mortem, said: "There were no external injuries. However, there was a granular material found in the abdomen. It looks like the medication that people take, the sort you see in open capsules.
"It looked like a pharmaceutical substance although I cannot say for certain. It was certainly taken by mouth. On the balance of probability, I cannot identify exactly what the medical cause of death. The granular materials themselves were non-toxic as there was no mention in the report. They would have been taken within 14 hours of death but I cannot say exactly when."
Both inquests have been adjourned to a later date while more evidence is gathered into the deaths of Viktorija and Kevin.
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