Six-week-old Lillie-May Jo Kinley dies after falling unconscious in her parents' bed (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

6:30pm Friday 5th February 2010

A BABY girl who had just started to smile fell unconscious between her parents whilst they were fast asleep in bed, an inquest has heard.

Six-week-old Lillie-May Jo Kinley was found limp and lifeless by her father, Simon Vance, at their family home in John Middleton Close, Hale Village.

He immediately woke the baby’s mum, Elizabeth Kinley, who rang for an ambulance.

“She had just started to smile,” mother-of-three Mrs Kinley told an inquest in Warrington, last Wednesday.

“She was born two weeks early but she was fine. She was a good baby.”

She said she put Lillie-May in her moses basket after feeding her at 10.30pm.

“I was woken up at 2.30am by Simon,” she said.

“He said: “Something’s wrong with the baby. He was standing at the side of the bed. I jumped up. The baby was all pale and limp. I was hysterical.”

Paramedic Steven Simmmons tried to revive her with a defibrulator.

She was taken to Whiston Hospital and transferred to Alder Hey, where she died on October 23, 2008.

Both parents were arrested and interviewed by the police but released without charge.

Samples showed they had both drunk alcohol and taken cannabis.

Mr Vance, told police: “She started crying for her feed at 2am.

“I slipped under the blanket with her on my arm. I laid her on the pillow between me and Elizabeth. I just nodded off.”

Extensive tests failed to discover why Lillie-May died.

Dr Janet Napier, deputy coroner for Cheshire, concluded the cause of death was unascertained and recorded a verdict of natural causes.

She said: “There is no evidence whatsoever of any criminal intent.

“This must be terribly upsetting for you. An unbelievable horrible experience, a little baby who is no longer with us.

“You must think about it ever since it happened. It will leave a terrible scar.”

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