A mother who killed her baby after breastfeeding while drunk has warned others about the dangers of alcohol.
An inquest into the death of Naomi Rose found that mum Emma Hurst had fallen asleep while breastfeeding, after drinking a bottle of wine. Naomi's body was found by her father, Allen, 42.
Allen told the inquest that he found his daughter's body facing his wife, with his wife's breast laying on her face. He also noticed blood in his daughter's mouth.
Emma, 30, was originally arrested and charged with overlay, or suffocating a child while asleep, but pathologists couldn't find evidence which completely proved that this was how Naomi died. The charges were then dropped.
Emma told the inquest that she was nervous about a social services assessment, and had not eaten all day. She said she drank the bottle of wine just before giving Naomi her evening feed, at around 6pm. Emma, who has two other children, is then thought to have fallen asleep.
One of their neighbours, Sheila Bentley, told the inquest how she heard Allen shout "You've killed my baby!" and rushed around to help. Both Sheila and Emma tried to resuscitate Naomi, and she was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital by paramedics. Staff there could not revive her.
The shocking case has added to concerns over the UK's alcohol problem, with more and more expecting mothers admitting to drinking throughout their pregnancy, and ignoring the risks this poses for a baby. A lack of information is being blamed for this, and a course training midwives about the risk of alcohol is being announced, funded by a major alcohol company.
The Metro reported Emma speaking after the inquest, saying; "It is awful what has happened and I am not proud of my behaviour. No mother should be drinking at all. Since that day I have not taken one drip of alcohol. I should have been 100% sober and that is what I have to live with. I believe I have failed completely because I am her mum."
Her husband Allen added, "It has been a nightmare, but hopefully something good can come of this if it can help another child."
The coroner has now recorded a narrative verdict. Health chiefs have also reminded parents that the safest place for a baby for the first six months is a cot.
The case has caused widespread controversy. Details such as why the family were being assessed by social services have not been released, leading to people questioning how the couple were as parents previous to this incident. Whether you feel sorry for the family involved or feel they were responsible; one thing is for sure - more education is definitely needed, to prevent tragedies like this from occurring again.
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