A 'beautiful, happy and smiley' baby boy tragically died in his sleep at the family home, an inquest has heard. A coroner has now said it cannot be determined what caused the 'sudden and unexpected' death of 'much-loved' and 'well cared for' Oakley-Shay King.
Oakley-Shay was three months old when his mum, Shannon King, woke in the morning to find him 'unresponsive' in bed with her at their home in Brinnington, Stockport. Paramedics were called but he tragically could not be saved.
An inquest into his death today (Tuesday) heard about the 'strong bond' he had with his mum as well as 'the big impact' he had on her and all his family during his short life.
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Miss King repeatedly wept as she told South Manchester Coroner's Court in Stockport about her 'beautiful little boy.' She said she did have concerns about him, particularly around his feeding, saying he often vomited after feeds.
She said he also developed blisters and that from the age of two weeks onwards his skin tone was often 'not the normal pink colour.' "I knew something wasn't right," she said fighting back tears.
He was prescribed medication for reflux and Miss King said she was reassured by medics that he was putting on weight and developing as normal. And there was some improvement as she began to introduce him to solid food, she said.
On January 27 last year, the day before his death, Oakley-Shay had been cared for by a family friend whilst his mum was at a hospital appointment and no concerns were raised about him at that time, the hearing was told.
Summarising the evidence, Area Coroner Chirs Morris said that later that day Oakley-Shay was 'taken to the pub where again there there was no cause for concern.'
"His mum had a couple of drinks and they returned home," he said. "Oakley had his nighttime bottle and his usual routine was to sleep right through to around 5am/5:30am.
"His mum told us there were two cots in the property and he usually slept in one of those. On this occasion, he was laid down to sleep in a double bed. Miss King then had some food and sat down on the bed whilst watching a TV drama when she drifted off.
"She woke the following morning to the fact Oakley-Shay was unresponsive, lay in the position he would usually sleep in."
Miss King said she had placed him on the right-hand side of the 'large' bed and that when she woke he was lying 'the way I had put him down' and in the position 'he would always sleep'.
A post-mortem carried by out by specialist pediatric and neonatal pathologist Dr Melanie Newbould said following examination his cause of death remained 'unascertained.' She said there was no evidence of any injuries, of any 'congenital abnormalities' or diseases.
Virology tests showed up positive for the virus causing the common cold. However, the hearing was told it could not be determined it that was a 'historical finding or something he had on board at the time of his death.' There was no evidence of 'serious infection or significant disease.'
Asked by Area Coroner Chris Morris if the way he was sleeping could have 'played any part' Dr Newbould said: "It's not the cause of the sudden, unexpected death, as we don't know that.
She said that 'although the way he is reported to have been sleeping during his last sleep is what we would call unsafe sleeping' and that there was known to be an 'increased' risk of sudden and unexpected deaths associated with sleeping this way, 'it's only a slight increase in the likelihood.' "We don't regard it as the cause of sudden and unexpected death" she added.
The hearing was told there had been no social services contact with Oakley-Shay and a police investigation, which is standard practice following the sudden and unexpected death of a child, concluded there were no suspicious circumstances and 'no criminal charges were brought or recommended in relation to Oakley's tragic death.' The hearing was told inquiries showed he was 'well cared for.'
Mr Morris said: "It's clear from what I have heard that Oakley-Shay was a much loved and longed-for baby. He's been described as a happy, smiley child.
"I have heard evidence from his mum that already that over the course of his short life they had a very strong bond. He was obviously someone she cared deeply for and was very attentive to."
He said there were 'some issues his mum noted with his health.' He said Miss King 'always felt in her heart that something was not quite right. Something was different from her other children, she was a very experienced mother.'
He said she was 'very diligent in the way she escalated these concerns at every opportunity and sought advice from her GP, Health Visitor, and other health professionals.' But that they ultimately concluded 'nothing was objectively physically wrong with Oakley-Shay' and he was 'growing normally.'
"Despite the very significant number of tests and examinations by very experienced doctors no cause of death has been identified," he said.
Recording a narrative conclusion Mr Morris said: "Oakley-Shay died suddenly and unexpectedly. A medical cause of death could not be identified. There is no evidence of suspicious circumstances surrounding Oakley-Shay's death."
"My final word has to be to convey my deepest sympathies and condolences," he told Miss King. "Through his very short life, he had already had a very big impact. It's obvious he was a very much loved and cared-for baby. I am so very sorry for your loss."
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