A four-month-old baby boy tragically suffocated after being left on a play mat while his parents slept, an inquest in Devon has heard.
Little Leonidas Ramsden was found unresponsive at his family home in Buckfastleigh on April 28, 2022, after his father, Dudley, had placed him on the mat and fallen asleep on the sofa. Leonidas’s mother, 21-year-old Akita Ramsden, discovered him face down three hours later, at around 6:00 AM.
The mat, which had a safety warning advising against leaving children unattended, was not designed as a sleeping surface. The coroner, Alison Longhorn, concluded that Leonidas likely suffocated because he was unable to breathe freely in the position he had rolled into.
Heartbroken Parents Pay Tribute
In a fundraiser for a memorial last year, Akita described her heartbreak over the loss of her son:
“Our son Leonidas-Aurelius was four months and three days old when he rolled over in the middle of the night while his family slept. He didn’t cry… he didn’t wake up… he just slipped away in his sleep with a small, sweet smile on his face.”
She added:
“Leo had the most beautiful low tones to his voice and loved to coo and roar. He was always smiling and holding his head high. Four months and three days of showering him in love and kisses were the best moments of my life.”
Akita revealed that she had asked Dudley to move Leonidas to his Moses basket around 3:00 AM because she wasn’t feeling well. However, Dudley, not wanting to disturb the baby, left him on the mat.
Safety Concerns Highlighted
The inquest heard that the mat was marketed as a “play mat” but resembled a soft sleeping pod. Products like sleeping pods, which are softer and lack safety straps, have long been linked to an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
In 2017, major retailers including Tesco, Mothercare, and Boots banned the sale of sleeping pods due to safety concerns. However, these products remain widely available online.
The Lullaby Trust, a leading children’s charity, has warned against the use of such products:
“Sleeping a baby on anything but a firm, flat surface, or using soft, heavy bedding, can increase the risk of SIDS. Products such as cushioned sleeping pods, nests, baby hammocks, and cot bumpers pose risks to infants under 12 months.”
Expert Advice for Infant Sleep Safety
The Consumer Product Safety Commission offers the following guidance for safe infant sleep:
Always place infants to sleep on their backs.
Use a firm, flat surface like a crib with a fitted sheet.
Avoid loose bedding, pillows, or padded bumpers.
Move sleeping infants from inclined or upright positions to a safe sleep environment.
Coroner’s Conclusion
The post-mortem examination could not establish a definitive cause of death, but the coroner recorded a narrative conclusion, stating Leonidas died after being found in a face-down sleeping position on the mat.
This devastating incident has reignited calls for greater awareness of safe sleep practices for infants and stricter regulation of products marketed for infant care.
The Ramsden family’s loss is a tragic reminder of the importance of adhering to established safety guidelines, even during moments of exhaustion. Their story underscores the need for vigilance in protecting vulnerable infants from preventable dangers.
