Three-week-old baby likely suffocated to death in his mother’s sling, coroner finds

A three-week-old likely suffocated to death in a fabric sling worn by his mother, a coroner has found.

The death of Harvey McGlinn occured in New South Wales, Australia in 2019, with The Daily Telegraph reporting that the infant was found pale and motionless when his mother Tattika Dunn unwrapped her sling at a community health centre.

Despite receiving immediate CPR, staff was unable to revive the child, according to the outlet. A coroner in NSW said in findings published on Thursday that the cause of death was likely due to “the position of Harvey‘s neck.”

“The evidence establishes that the position of Harvey‘s neck, with his chin on his chest, compromised his airway,” the coroner said. “Harvey‘s relatively low weight may have resulted in less muscle and head control resulting in a difficulty in maintaining a patent airway from the way that Harvey was positioned in the sling.”

Dunn, who has two other children with fiancé Bill McGlinn, declined to be involved in the inquest,The Daily Telegraph reported. The outlet added that there is no suggestion of a breach of “duty of care”.

While reflecting on her baby’s death during a 2019 interview with Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O on The Kyle & Jackie O Show, Australia’s biggest radio show, Dunn said she hadn’t noticed anything different about the infant during their morning routine.

After the neonatal nurse realised the infant wasn’t breathing during the visit, she said she fell to the floor and “started screaming”.

“I was on the floor watching my baby try to get resuscitated and I could do nothing to help him,” she said, per NewsHub.

As for why she began using the sling, Dunn told the interviewers that the baby didn’t like being laid flat, and would scream when he was in his pram.

“Every time I laid him flat he would scream straight away. It was like he was in pain. I would say it to the nurses… He never went in his pram,” she said.

Dunn said that nurses speculated that Harvey’s reaction to lying flat on his back may have been linked to an emotional response over his traumatic birth, which left him “covered in bruises from the forceps”. However, she added that her medical team believed Harvey had no underlying medical conditions, and that she “did everything they told me to do”.

Staff at the health centre and the makers of the sling were also cleared of any liability over the death. The sling reportedly included a suffocation warning and a booklet advising that babies should be carried upright with their chins off their parents’ chest.

Following the baby’s death, the coroner said that NSW Health has made changes to the advice regarding the risks of baby slings. Deborah Matha, NSW Health director of maternity, child and family, told the inquest that banning slings may be the only way to fully eliminate their risks.

The inquest noted that this would be difficult and unlikely, as Matha said slings are customary in certain cultures and used by people with disabilities.

In an effort to keep children safe, a new acronym, TICKS, has been devised. The acronym stands for Tight, In view, Close, Keep chin off chest and Supported, according to The Daily Telegraph, and encourages parents to hold children tight and high, in view of their parents at all times, and close enough to kiss. The updated guidance also advises parents to position their child so “their chin is off their chest and never curled, and their back is well supported and in a natural position”.

On the NSW Health website, it states that parents and carers should be aware that “babies who are born premature, of low birth weight, are unwell, or are under four months of age are at greater risk of suffocation before using a baby carrier, sling or pouch” and encourages “caregivers to talk with their child and family health nurse, GP or paediatrician before using a baby carrier, sling or pouch”.

A GoFundMe fundraiser set up for the family previously raised $4,660 AUD ($2,929).