A three-week-old boy most likely choked to death on a cloth sling worn by his mother, a coroner has ruled.
In 2019 at a community health center on the NSW Central Coast, Harvey McGlinn’s mother, Tattika Dunn, unwrapped the sling she was carrying and saw him immobile and colorless.
Staff at the centre frantically performed CPR on the baby, but Harvey could not be revived.
“The evidence shows that the position of Harvey’s neck, with his chin resting on his chest, compromised his airways,” the coroner said in his findings. The Daily Telegraph.
“Harvey’s relatively light weight may have resulted in less muscle and head control, making it difficult to maintain an open airway due to the way Harvey was positioned in the sling.”
The newborn was Ms Dunn’s third son with fiance Bill McGlinn. The pair also have two twins Seth and Bailey.
“It’s still very raw and my heart feels like it’s been ripped in a million pieces,” Ms Dunn wrote in a Facebook post following her son’s death.
She and her husband Bill said they will never stop loving, missing, and grieving for the loss of their son.
Both the health center staff and the manufacturer of the product were cleared of any liability. Although Ms. Dunn was not involved in the investigation, there is no evidence that she violated her duty of care.
The sling included a suffocation warning and an instructional booklet which mentioned babies must be carried upright with the chin off their parents chest in the device.
Following the young boys death the coroner said NSW Health made changes to their advice regarding the risks of baby slings.
NSW Health Director of Maternity, Child and Family Deborah Matha spoke during the inquest and said banning slings was the only way to completely eliminate the risk, but admitted it would be nearly impossible due to cultural and disability reasons for mothers who wear slings.
Since Harvey’s passing, the abbreviation “TICKS” has been developed to help other parents avoid the same mistake. TICKS stands for Tight, In view, Close, Keep chin off chest and Supported.
It advises parents to ensure the baby is held tight and high, is in view of the parent at all times, is close enough to kiss, is in a position so their chin is off their chest and never curled, and their back is well supported and in a natural position.
