Top of the range Bednest cot that baby girl died in ‘poses significant hazard to any child old enough to lift their head’

A TOP of the range cot that a baby girl died in is a "significant hazard" to any child old enough to lift their head, an inquest has warned.

Seven-week-old Grace Roseman tragically died of asphyxiation in the "dangerous"; £199 Bednest cot after she became caught on the edge when she lifted her head over one of the fold-down sides.

Her lifeless body was discovered by heartbroken mum Esther, who screamed "Grace is dead" as the horror unfolded on April 9, 2015.

The inquest into the tot's death heard how the top of the range cot poses a "significant hazard" to any child old enough to lift their head.

Four paediatricians discussed the safety of the Bednest at County Hall in Horsham, West Sussex, today and whether Grace would have been able to prop her head over the 7cm lip on the side.

Dr Betty Hutchon, a paediatric occupational therapist, said: "I was horrified when I saw the crib because of the bar going across.

"Seeing the height of the bar, and knowing what babies can do, I could see that the bar holding the side in that position would be a very big hazard if they baby fell on it."

She added: "For me, it seems very dangerous for a baby and the design is flawed and needs to be changed."

The cot, which was given to the devastated family by a friend, is able to be folded at the side, allowing mothers easier access to their children.

The company had suggested in marketing material that mums are able to leave their children unattended while the side was folded down, but the instructions - which Esther did not have access to - advised against this.

Videos played to the inquest showed children of all different ages being able to use their arms to raise their heads.

Peter Fleming, a professor of infant health and developmental physiology at Bristol University, told the hearing he thought the cot posed a risk to babies.

He said: "I felt that using the Bednest cot with the side half-down potentially exposed babies to a significant hazard.

"The fact was that Grace died. The mechanism in her death is not clear, but it's not the first time I have come across a baby dying in similar circumstances."

Another expert, Dr Michael Coren, said he thought it was "highly likely" that a child of Grace's age would be able to lift their head over the side.

Sir Alan Craft, an emeritus professor at Newcastle University and a consultant paediatrician, who was giving evidence on behalf of Bednest, said "squirming and gravity" would have allowed Grace to move to the end of the cot, but that doesn't mean she could lift her head over the wall of it.

The inquest also heard how Bednest "fundamentally disagree" with the conclusion that the product was dangerous.

But the hearing was told by Trading Standards that it failed to comply with basic safety instructions after being tested by CPSA, Consumer Product Safety Advice.

Bednest apparently agreed to contact their customer base and provide a 'modification kit' - which included two screws and a screwdriver to prevent the side of the cot wall from being half-folded - but declined to offer a full-on recall of the product.

Baby Grace was thought to be sleeping in her room when she became caught on the edge of her Bednest cot and died - with her mum Esther making the heart-breaking discovery.

Speaking yesterday about the horror of discovering her daughter was dead, Esther said: "I found Grace with her head hanging over the side, facing upwards.

"Her head was on the side which was half-folded. She was purple in colour. It was obvious she had been there some time - there was no sign of any life. I started screaming, 'Grace is dead'."

Esther told the hearing that her husband Gideon had been sleeping in the other room due to illness, and rushed in once he heard her screaming.

The frantic family rushed to Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath. Esther said: "She was never going to be saved, it was obvious.

"It was desperate, but the doctor even said that as soon as we brought her in, they knew she was gone.

"When I made the 999 call, I never said, 'she's passed out'. I said, 'my baby's dead'.

"It was apparent she had been there a long time, and I was just having a bath."

Gideon Roseman, Esther's husband and Grace's father, also gave evidence from the morning of his daughters death.

He said: "I did see Esther holding Grace and I did see that Grace was gone. Blood was starting to pool."

Prior to the discovery, Esther told the court her other child thought of Esther as their "whole world" and was affected by the birth of Grace.

She added that a friend had relative had lent her the cot, but "it didn't come with any straps or instructions".

Shortly after Grace's death, West Sussex senior coroner Penelope Schofield contacted Bednest, warning them of the dangers of the product.

She wrote: "In my opinion, urgent action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you and/or your organisation should have the power to take such action."

I found Grace with her head hanging over the side, facing upwards... I started screaming, 'Grace is dead'

Esther RosemanGrace's mother

She issued a Coroner Report to Prevent Future Deaths, which she sent to Bednest Ltd and the National Childbirth Trust.

In the report she highlighted six matters of concern, including the manufacturer's website shows babies in these cots with the sides in the incompletely lowered position, while instructions say that a baby should not be left unattended other than when both sides of the Bednest are up and secure.

She added: "If the cot side is not safe to be incompletely lowered or for the cot to be tilted more than 5cm then it should be questioned as to whether these should be options available at all."

The hearing continues.

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