A NEWBORN baby died after being placed in a bed next to his sleeping parents following a night of drinking, an inquest heard.

Five-week-old Leo Moran had been sleeping with his mother Karen Crowther and father Jared Moran at their home in Little Hulton, in August last year, when Ms Crowther awoke to find that Leo was not breathing.

After several attempts to resuscitate him he was rushed to the Royal Bolton Hospital, but died later that morning.

Bolton Coroners' Court heard that Leo was Ms Crowther's seventh child, and that there had been no problems during her pregnancy, although she did develop gestational diabetes.

Leo's birth had been "quick" but he was "very very blue" after his delivery, Ms Crowther said.

However Leo was a healthy baby, with no health problems, although he did occasionally make jerking motions, she added.

On the evening of August 2 Ms Crowther and Mr Moran shared a bottle of vodka in their living room in Mill Hill, while Leo was in a "bouncy chair" in the same room.

Leo had been sick that evening, but Ms Crowther said she believed this was because he was "quite greedy".

At around 3am Ms Crowther took Leo up to bed with her, where she joined Mr Moran, placing Leo between her and a pillow on the edge of the bed.

She added that Leo did not wake up to be fed during the night.

At around 8am Ms Crowther woke up and noticed that Leo's lips had turned blue.

Realising that he had stopped breathing, she attempted to resuscitate him and give him oxygen, with the help of a neighbour.

She then called an ambulance and Leo was rushed to hospital.

Paramedics and hospital staff attempted to revive Leo, however A&E paediatric consultant Dr Damian Bates told the court that Leo showed "no signs of life". He was pronounced dead at 8.55am.

Dr Charles Wilson, the pathologist who carried out the a postmortem on Leo, alongside colleague Dr Newbold, said that after tests Leo's death was "unascertained", adding: "I don't have any factual evidence to show how this child died".

However Dr Wilson's examinations did find evidence of petechial haemorrhaging and hypostasis, or pooling of blood, in Leo's lower body, "indicating he had been face down prior to his death".

He added that all Leo's organs had been "normal", and histology and toxicology tests came back negative, with no evidence of drugs or alcohol present, or carbon monoxide poisoning.

Mr Wilson further noted Leo's co-sleeping with his parents may have contributed to his death and that the risk of such so called 'cot deaths', commonly known as sudden infant death syndrome, can be increased by maternal smoking and weight, and alcohol consumption.

Following Leo's death police launched a special procedure investigation but no criminal charges were brought forward in respect to the case, detective inspector Chris Mannion told the court.

DI Mannion noted that there were "no signs of trauma or assault to Leo".

He added that he was "quite happy that there was no evidence to suggest that there was any foul play".

Coroner Rachel Galloway recorded a conclusion of Leo's death being unascertained, adding: "I find that co-sleeping with adults at home did increase the risk of Leo's death. But I was unable to establish, on the balance of probabilities, that this caused his death on this occasion."

Ms Galloway further offered her condolences to Leo's parents and family and praised the neighbour for her efforts to resuscitate him.