Inquest examines role cloth baby sling played in death of three-week-old boy

An inquest is examining whether a cloth baby sling contributed to the unexpected and shocking death of a NSW infant discovered unresponsive when his mother unwrapped him during a medical appointment.

Three-week-old Harvey McGlinn had been taken by his mother Tattika Dunn to an appointment at Long Jetty community health centre on the Central Coast on April 8,2019. It was a regular check-up as he was born slightly early and underweight.

Dunn had arranged for a friend to look after her young twins before she loaded Harvey into a Boba Wrap baby sling,a long piece of fabric which is tied around the parent’s body before the baby is placed inside. On the short walk to the clinic,she stopped at a bakery,where Harvey was heard making noises and kicking.

By the time they arrived at the clinic,Harvey had slipped down in the sling and was in a low position on his mother’s stomach,lying horizontally. When a nurse met the pair in the waiting room at about 9.05am,she assumed the baby was sleeping.

However,when Dunn unwrapped the fabric about 20 minutes later for Harvey to be weighed and checked,he was unresponsive with pale,blotchy skin and his chin pressed to his chest.

On Monday,registered nurse Kathryn Mitchell told the NSW Coroners Court that she thought Harvey was either “unconscious or dead”. She immediately started CPR after shouting for another staff member to call triple zero.

Multiple nurses,a doctor from the medical centre next door,paramedics and a doctor from CareFlight attempted to revive Harvey,but he could not be saved and was declared dead at 10.12am.

Registered nurse Rebekka Kovacs,who was involved in the resuscitation effort,told the inquest that Dunn was extremely distressed and had to be helped by two nurses to a toilet,where she collapsed.

In an opening statement,counsel assisting Jake Harris said there was nothing to suggest the Boba Wrap sling was more dangerous than any other kind of cloth wrap. An instruction booklet and safety warnings are included with the cotton and Spandex fabric.

Harvey’s cause of death was given as “unascertained”,with a medical examiner noting he was small for his age and had no visible injuries. The examiner found it was possible his airway was obstructed in the carrier.

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Harris noted a report from an expert neonatologist,who considered it “very likely” that Harvey’s cause of death was accidental suffocation in the baby carrier. A number of other deaths have been associated with babies being positioned poorly in carriers,he said.

The neonatologist’s report also noted that babies being underweight,as Harvey was,gave them an increased vulnerability to harmful positioning in carriers.

For parents using a cloth baby carrier,the inquest was told,it was recommended to keep the baby upright and follow the TICKS guideline,standing for:tight;in view at all times;close enough to kiss;keep chin off chest;and support the back.

A French study into the deaths of 19 babies recommended that soft fabric baby carriers not be used for children under four months of age,Harris said. He described Harvey’s death as “tragic”,unexpected and very shocking.

In a response to the inquest,the manufacturer of Boba Wraps said a warning label was attached to the fabric of the wrap,with graphics showing incorrect use. The company recommends that its wrap is not used for babies weighing less than 3.6 kilograms. Harvey weighed about 2.8 kilograms.

The inquest continues.

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