A Southampton coroner has warned parents against sleeping too close to their babies after the death of a four month old child.

Keith Wiseman made the comments during the inquest into the death of Tiane Marie Smith- Evans who was found dead in bed next to her mother Katie Evans.

The inquest heard how Miss Evans, who was living in a Hampshire woman’s refuge at the time, had been sleeping alongside the child when she awoke to prepare her a bottle.

But she found that Tiane was not breathing and called an ambulance.

Attempts to revive the baby failed and she was pronounced dead at Southampton General Hospital shortly after.

The inquest was told Tiane had not been showing signs of being ill and had been feeding well.

Pathologist Dr Darren Fowler said extensive tests were carried out to determine a cause of death but nothing was found.

He said Tiane was a healthy infant with no signs of a virus.

But he identified the fact the baby was in the bed next to her mum as a risk and gave the cause of sudden infant death in cosleeping.

Recording a verdict of death by natural causes was recorded, coroner Keith Wiseman said: “This is not an uncommon way of dying suddenly for young children.

The question of sleeping too close together, between mother and child is well evidenced as a risk factor.

“There are always Government warnings about some of the risks. It can give rise to problems like inadvertent smothering.”

Miss Evans was not at Southampton Coroner’s Court for the hearing.

Research suggests 70 per cent of parents bed-share at least once in the first six months of life, and 70 per cent of infants that die are found to have slept with a parent.

The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) said it would not comment on individual cases, but warned sleeping alongside babies is known to have an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleep accidents.

In particular it singles out babies under the age of six months as most at risk.

Sleeping with a baby on a sofa or armchair is particularly dangerous.