A mum whose infant son died co-sleeping with his father has urged parents to “cuddle your babies and savour precious moments but never take them to bed with you”.
Logan James McCartney was just three months old when he was found lifeless in a V-shaped pregnancy pillow.
On Thursday an inquest at Laganside Court in Belfast found that Logan was killed by bronchopneumonia, but co-sleeping was also a factor.
Coroner Maria Dougan said co-sleeping was “inherently dangerous” and raised the need for “greater awareness and understanding” of safe sleeping practices.
Speaking exclusively to Sunday Life after the hearing, Logan’s heartbroken mum Chloe McCreery (33), said she wished she could “turn back time”.
She added: “Don’t sleep with your babies. Make sure you cuddle your children extra tight, and don’t take any moment or even the tiniest milestones for granted, but put them in a cot or Moses basket at bedtime.”
Logan James McCartney at three months old
Ms McCreery was living with former partner Gary McCartney (40), Logan’s father, in Dundonald when tragedy struck in October 2020.
The inquest heard the baby normally slept in a cot beside his parents’ bed.
But on Saturday, October 17, after enjoying a “family day”, Ms McCreery went downstairs to sleep on the sofa.
Mr McCartney gave Logan a bottle around midnight. He then fell asleep in his father’s arms, before being settled into the apex of a V-shaped pillow on a double bed.
Ms McCreery was woken around 6.30am the following morning by Mr McCartney shouting that Logan wasn’t breathing.
Paramedics were called but were unable to resuscitate Logan. He was pronounced dead in the Ulster Hospital at 7.36am.
The inquest heard the little boy had been suffering with what appeared to be “a sniffle” in the days before his death.
Logan died in October 2020
Returning her findings on Thursday, Coroner Dougan said three vulnerabilities contributed to Logan’s death: neurological anomalies on his brain, bronchopneumonia and co-sleeping in bed with an adult.
She said: “No one should fall asleep with a baby on a sofa, chair or bed. The safest place for a baby to sleep is a cot or Moses basket for the first six months.”
The hearing was told babies should be laid flat on their backs and covered with a light blanket. There should be nothing else in their cot.
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During an hearing in March, Ms McCreery gave evidence that on the morning of Logan’s death, she had seen a number of beer tins in the bedroom, but Mr McCartney told the court he did not drink any alcohol that night.
Neither parent had blood or alcohol samples taken after Logan’s death, and police attended the scene five-and-a-half hours later.
The coroner said that because forensic evidence had not been taken by the PSNI, she was unable to determine whether Mr McCartney had been impaired with alcohol or prescription or illegal drugs while sharing a bed with his son.
Ms McCreery and Mr McCartney separated shortly after Logan’s death.
The coroner heard evidence from Ms McCreery that it had been a “violent and controlling relationship” but he denied being “controlling and abusive”.
Logan’s mum, who now lives in Lisburn, said he son was adored and she felt blessed to have had him.
He was born by C-section at 38 weeks on July 11, 2020, and thrived during the first three months of his life.
Ms McCreery said: “He was a very easy baby, very alert to his surroundings, with tiny little feet and a wee button nose. He only ever cried when he was hungry.”
A picture of Logan taken after he was born (Photo by Stephen Hamilton)
Within three months of his birth, Logan was in nine-month baby clothes, and his mum said he was showing an interest in solid foods.
She has a treasured last photo of herself leaning into his coffin to kiss him goodbye on the day of his funeral. He was buried with his favourite Peter Rabbit stuffed toy.
Ms McCreery said she was thankful her son could “be at peace”.
She added: “I had so many dreams for him. I couldn’t wait to see him growing up and kicking a football, playing with Ninja Turtles and superheroes.
“He already loved cartoons — Peter Rabbit was his favourite. I bought things like a bath chair, a big boy pram and a play mat that he never got to use.”
A memorial plaque dedicated to Logan
She also warned of the dangers of co-sleeping, even just as a one-off.
“I was actually very aware of cot death because I know someone who lost a baby,” Ms McCreery said.
“Logan’s normal night-time routine was a bottle and a nappy change, then he was put to bed in his cot.
“My mummy Deborah helped out a lot after he was born, so even if I started to nod off with Logan in my arms, she would lift him away from me.
“I just don’t want another family to lose their baby like we have.”
Barry O’Donnell, a solicitor with KRW Law who represented Ms McCreery throughout the investigation, said: “The death of a child in any family is unimaginable. The inquest has assisted Ms McCreery in understanding the causes of Logan’s death.
“She would like to thank the coroner and her staff for the professional way in which the inquest was conducted and the awareness raised of the dangers of co-sleeping.”