Baby boy dead after sleeping on couch, living in squalor: inquest

The death of an 11-week-old baby boy whose bed was a fold-out couch shared with his mother and siblings could have been prevented, a court has heard.

An 11-week-old baby who died in squalor, having slept on a fold-out couch with his mother and siblings, is unlikely to have died as a result of the viral infection he was recovering from, a court has heard.

This is the first time the public has been made aware of the baby boy’s death, which occurred in November 2018 in a home in rural South Australia.

The Department of Child Protection (DCP) last week won a bid to keep details of the baby and his family suppressed, despite knowing of the death for four years.

The baby reportedly died while co-sleeping with his mother and young siblings on a fold-out couch in a house heavily littered with rubbish and faeces.

The DCP had reportedly been notified of risks to the baby and his siblings 23 times, with many of the reports made before the baby boy was even born.

On Tuesday, an inquest at in the Coroner’s Court was shown footage and photographs of the conditions the baby was living in before his death on November 30, 2018.

The photographs show the house covered in rubbish, with items strewn across floors and on surfaces.

In the video footage, a Detective is heard commenting on the scent of the home: “There is quite a bad smell of animal faeces through the house.”

Photos from SA Police, showing the home in which the baby died. Picture: SA Police

The empty fridge in the home. Picture: SA Police

The kitchen in the home. Picture: SA Police

On Wednesday, the inquest heard from Associate Professor Mike Starr, a paediatrician and infectious diseases physician.

Professor Starr said he was not of the opinion the infant boy had died as a result of various viruses found in his lungs post-mortem, but rather his sleeping arrangements were a major contributor.

The court had previously heard that on the night of the boy’s death, he had been sleeping on a fold-out couch with his mother, who was a smoker, and siblings.

Professor Starr said a baby of his age should have been sleeping in an appropriate bed with a hard mattress with no objects like pillows which could obstruct his airways.

Rubbish across the floor in the home. Picture: SA Police

The court also heard the baby boy had visited a GP and paediatrician in the month leading up to his death, and was treated for a common cold.

“The unsafe sleeping environment was a factor in his death,” Professor Starr said.

“I agree that it’s impossible to determine (cause of death) precisely, but I don’t think the respiratory infection was a major factor.

“I would weigh (the unsafe sleeping environment) more heavily based on the clinical picture and the pathology.”

He told the court the infant’s death could have been prevented if the child had been provided with suitable sleeping arrangements.

“I believe it could have been prevented because there were a number of preventable factors, and I do think the poor hygienic living factors were one of those factors,” Professor Starr said.

“There were a number of things that could have been prevented, the biggest one was having a safe sleeping environment, in my view.

“If he had been put to bed in a cot, without anything in the cot, and it was an appropriate mattress, and the area was clean, and the mother didn’t smoke, then this death would not have happened. They’re all preventable things.”

State Coroner David Whittle also heard from Rachel Mayfield, who was the family’s case manager for a not-for-profit service provider before the infant’s death.

Ms Mayfield told the court she had been made aware by the mother prior to the birth of the infant that she and her then-two children had been sleeping on the fold-out couch, during the one visit she paid to the family’s home.

Ms Mayfield said the beds had no sheets, pillows or blankets. Picture: SA Police

“I guess it’s not safe sleeping practice,” she said.

“I can’t recall how I felt at that point in time, but I can comment that since that time I have done safe infant sleep training and I’m more aware of the safety aspects of sleeping.”

She said she hadn’t done any training to be made aware of what was considered “safe sleeping” for infants before the boy’s death.

She also told the court she didn’t have a role in educating the mother of the children on safe sleeping practices.

Ms Mayfield completed a one-off training about safe sleeping practices for infants only after the incident in November 2018 occurred, but said if she had completed it before, she would have educated the boy’s mother.

“I would have had a conversation with her about safe sleeping practices and provided her with information about it,” she said.

The court heard there were beds in the house, but none of them had bedding on them during the time Ms Mayfield visited the house.

“No sheets, no pillows, no blankets,” she said.

Ms Mayfield said she made no attempt to ask the mother if they were using the beds.

“She told me she was sleeping in the lounge room.”

The court heard Ms Mayfield had attempted to visit the premises multiple times after her first visit, but the mother had stopped answering calls, texts or other communication attempts.

The case was then referred to DCP.

The court will hear from DCP representatives on Thursday.

Originally published as Baby boy dead after sleeping on couch, living in squalor: inquest