Coroner's crib fears after Haywards Heath girl dies

The Bednest crib is designed to be kept next to the parents' bed

A coroner has warned of the dangers of a brand of baby crib after the death of a seven-week-old girl in West Sussex.

Coroner Penelope Schofield said Grace Roseman died from asphyxia at her home in Haywards Heath after being put to bed in the Bednest crib.

She has ordered urgent action to prevent future deaths.

Stratford-upon-Avon manufacturer Bednest said it was fully co-operating with the coroner's investigation and was confident of the crib's safety.

Restricted air supply

The investigation is still under way and no inquest has yet been held into Grace's death but the coroner has issued a Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths.

The company has 56 days to respond. The report has also been sent to childbirth charity the NCT.

Bednest has been sold by the NCT and also in major stores.

The coroner said Grace was put into the cot on her front but was found by her mother 90 minutes later with her head over the edge of the cot, which restricted her air supply and led to her death.

Her parents had been given the second-hand cot by relatives but did not have any written instructions.

Sales suspended

Ms Schofield expressed concern that there were no instructions on the cot itself and questioned the safety of some positions in which it could be used.

Bednest said it advised parents buying a second-hand crib to visit its website to get a full instruction manual.

It said that following Grace's death it was considering displaying instructions on the side of the crib, which had passed vigorous UK and USA safety standards.

The NCT said it had suspended sales of the Bednest crib until the completion of the inquiry.

"We will also undertake our own detailed and thorough review of the product with immediate effect," it said in a statement.