Baby Harvey McGlinn suffocated to death inside mum’s sling
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Three-week-old baby boy choked on being squeezed against the sling his mother was wearing, coroner finds
- NSW coroner finds three-week-old likely suffocated in cloth sling
- Harvey McGlinn died in 2019 at a health center in the Central Coast
- A new acronym ‘TICKS’ has been coined to ensure the tragedy does not repeat itself
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A three-week-old boy most likely choked to death on a cloth sling worn by his mother, a coroner has ruled.
Harvey McGlinn was found motionless and colorless when his mother, Tattika Dunn, unpacked the sling she was wearing at a health center on the NSW Central Coast in 2019.
The staff desperately performed CPR on the baby, but he was unable to resuscitate.
A NSW coroner has found a three-week-old boy most likely asphyxiated on a cloth sling worn by his mother Tattika Dunn (pictured)
“The evidence shows that the position of Harvey’s neck, with his chin resting on his chest, compromised his airways,” the coroner said in his findings. The Daily Telegraph.
“Harvey’s relatively light weight may have resulted in less muscle and head control, making it difficult to maintain an open airway due to the way Harvey was positioned in the sling.”
The newborn was Mrs. Dunn’s third son with fiancé Bill McGlinn. The couple also have twins Seth and Bailey.
“It’s still very raw and my heart feels like it’s been torn into a million pieces,” Ms Dunn wrote in a Facebook post following her son’s death.
Ms Dunn declined to participate in the investigation, but there is no suggestion that she has breached her duty of care.
Both the health center staff and the manufacturer of the product were cleared of any liability.
Both the health center staff and the manufacturer of the product were cleared of any liability. Ms Dunn was not part of the investigation, but there is no suggestion that she has breached her duty of care
The sling contained a choking warning and an instruction booklet stating that babies should be carried upright with their parents’ chest chins in the device.
After the deaths of the young boys, the coroner said NSW Health changed their advice regarding the risks of slings.
NSW Health Director of Maternity, Child and Family Deborah Matha spoke during the inquest and said banning slings was the only way to completely eliminate the risk, but admitted it would be nearly impossible due to cultural and disability reasons for mothers who wear slings.
The acronym ‘TICKS’ has been coined since Harvey’s death as a way to ensure that other parents avoid the same mishap.
TICKS stands for Tight, In view, Close, Keep chin off chest and Supported.