Mystery over death of seven-week old baby boy
Mystery surrounds the death of a seven-week-old baby boy after a coroner returned an open verdict at an inquest.
After hearing evidence into the death of Ellis Cunningham, senior coroner Mr Zafar Siddique said it would have to remain open because of 'conflicting areas of how baby Ellis was found.'
No family members attended the inquest, with Dr Philip Cox, consultant perinatal pathologist, giving evidence including background.
Dr Cox explained that baby Ellis was the second child of Nicola Kiernan, and had been born full term on May 31 this year by caesarian section, at a healthy weight. He said: "The mother had issues with anxiety and there had been some issues with alcohol in the past."
The only other hospital visit mentioned was on July 9, when a small mark below his eye was identified as infantigo.
Dr Cox continued: "On July 18, he appeared to be well and Mum took him shopping in Stourbridge. Apparently Mum had a couple of drinks while she was out and then carried on shopping.
"They got home at around 5.30pm and she fed the baby later in the day, then again at 2am.
Circumstances
"She stated Ellis usually slept in a basket next to her bed but, on that night, she put him in a bouncy chair and he slept after his feed."
The inquest also heard that Mrs Kiernan called a friend at around 5.17am.
Dr Cox said: "This was a friend who she often called in the early hours and, while she was talking the friend, heard a baby cry and heard the Mum prepare a feed and the baby feeding."
At 8.54am that morning, the West Midlands Ambulance Service were called to reports of an unresponsive baby, arriving at 9.02am.
Dr Cox said: "Mum stated she had last seen him alert about two hours previously.
"When they attended the baby was actually on the arm of the sofa, on his back with his head facing towards the sofa. The baby was unresponsive and had no heart beat.
"They started resuscitation, transferred him to Russells Hall where they arrived 15 minutes later. He had full resuscitation but, sadly, they couldn't revive him."
After Dr Cox conducted an autopsy, he recorded the cause of death as unascertained.
