A STRAMSHALL father has spoken of how he misses his wonderful little boy after a coroner recorded an open verdict on his tragic death.
Archie Thompson was found by his mother Gina Benages ‘unresponsive and blue’ on April 18 at their home in High Street as she tried to wake him for his feed, South Staffordshire Coroners Court heard.
DC Julia Muzyka, of Staffordshire Police’s child protection team, told the inquest that the day before his death the family had been shopping to celebrate Ms Benages’ birthday and 11-month-old Archie was described as fine.
When they returned home his parents had a few drinks and Ms Benages’ fell asleep on the sofa.
Archie had his food and drink as normal and he was taken up to bed with his father Ashley at 11pm.
Although Archie had his own cot in his parents’ bedroom he normally fell asleep on his parents bed and was moved to his cot.
His father fell asleep and Ms Benages joined them in bed with Archie asleep in the middle of them.
At around 4.15am Ms Benages woke to give Archie his feed and after making the discovery both parents tried to resuscitate him. He was taken to Stafford General Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Dr Roger Malcolmson, a pathologist at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, carried out a wide range of tests on the baby’s body but was unable to find a cause of death.
He told the inquest the Archie had a normal delivery at 38 weeks and had a cough two weeks before his death but he was smiling, happy and well with no temperature.
He was not on any medication, had no allergies and had all his vaccinations.
Dr Malcolmson said: “There were no concerns for Archie personally or health wise and the day before his death he was entirely well.” He classed his death as unascertained, a sudden unexpected death in infancy, as there was no definite cause.
He said there were specific risk factors due to his sleep environment as he was sleeping in his parents’ bed in a hot room with parents who had consumed more than two units of alcohol and was sleeping face down.
Dr Malcolmson told the coroner his findings that were most prominent were a ‘number of small haemorrhages’ in his chest cavity which are sometimes associated with asphyxiation but it is not specific to that.
It could not be ruled as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as risk factors were involved.
He said: “High numbers of sudden death in infants occur in children who sleep on their front.
I do not think there is any evidence of trauma, neglect or abuse.” Mr Thompson said Archie would always sleep on his front, even if he was put on his back.
Coroner Andrew Haigh said the cause of death was not clear recording it as an open verdict.
Speaking to the parents, he said: “I would like to convey my genuine sympathy to you. I am very sorry that whatever happened led to his death that night.” After the inquest Mr Thompson said: “We never had any problems with him in the bed. He could not settle in the cot that night so I put him in the bed with me.
“He was a wonderful little boy. They were the best months of my life. I miss him loads.”
