Baby who choked had cardiac arrest, inquest told

Oliver Steeper who died in hospital, six days after a choking incident in 2021

A nine-month-old boy who died after choking at a nursery in Ashford had a cardiac arrest and suffered neurological damage, an inquest has heard.

Oliver Steeper died six days after he choked at Jelly Beans day nursery, in Ashford, on 23 September 2021.

On Monday, the coroner read out sections of a post-mortem examination report by pathologist Dr Charlotte Randall at the hearing in Maidstone.

The inquest has previously heard concerns from Oliver’s mother, Zoe Steeper, that his food was not being pureed by staff.

Dr Randall’s report found Oliver “suffered unrecoverable neurological damage”.

She concluded that choking had led to cardiac arrest.

“Fragments of food were removed from airways,” the pathologist confirmed.

The jury was told that Oliver had no underlying disease that predisposed him to a choking episode.

The inquest previously heard that Oliver, who only had two front teeth, had been eating pureed meals at home, and his parents had been assured by nursery workers that solids could be blended before being fed to him.

The baby was taken to the William Harvey Hospital before being transferred to Evelina London Children’s Hospital where he died.

The hearing will resume on Wednesday.