A MUM has told how she was branded a baby killer after her one month-old daughter mysteriously died in her bed following a night feed.
Shannon Maund had cups of coffee thrown at her in the street and endured cruel taunts from strangers as she struggled to come to terms with her grief.
Now she wants to warn other new parents about the dangers of sleeping with their baby after suffering the devastating loss of daughter Lyla-Rae in July 2018.
The heartbroken 20-year-old said: “Never, ever have your baby in bed with you.
"Whatever the time, however tired you are, put your baby back in their cot.
"If we can prevent any other parents going through the heartbreak we went through, Lyla-Rae’s death won’t have been in vain."
Co-sleeping is associated with an increased risk of sudden, unexpected death in infancy, including sudden infant death syndrome, sometimes known as cot death.
In the UK, more than 200 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every year.
Shannon was 17 and still living at home with mum Emma Ayres, 37, in Bideford, Devon, when she discovered she was expecting.
“I went on a roller coaster of emotions,” she says.
"But as my bump grew, there was no ignoring the facts. I was 17, living at home and about to become a single mum to a baby girl.
Never, ever have your baby in bed with you. Whatever the time, however tired you are, put your baby back in their cot.
"It wasn’t an ideal situation but I was ready for the challenge.
"My mum agreed to be my birthing partner and together we planned for the arrival of Lyla-Rae."
At seven months pregnant, love was the last thing on Shannon’s mind.
But one night, she got talking to single dad, Ben Price, 23, online.
Shannon says: "Straight off, I told him I was heavily pregnant. And he didn’t run a mile. In fact, we chatted for hours."
The pair chatted most evenings but Shannon didn’t expect anything to come from her online friendship.
Then Ben took her by surprise by travelling to Devon to visit her and the pair became inseparable.
Shannon says: "After a couple of trips backwards and forwards, we decided we wanted to be together."
Ben moved into Shannon’s family home while the couple looked for a place of their own and the pair slept on the floor in the lounge despite her being heavily pregnant.
Shannon endured a tough thirty-four hour labour with Ben and Emma at her side before Lyla-Rae was born on June 5, 2018, weighing 7lb 7oz.
"As I held my baby in my arms for the first time, it didn’t seem real," Shannon says.
"I took her home the next day. She was a model baby. Constantly smiling, she only ever cried when she was hungry or had a dirty nappy.
"I was up every couple of hours to feed her through the night but she always fell straight back to sleep.
"I was exhausted but Ben was the perfect doting dad, helping with feeds and changing his fair share of nappies."
At one month old, Lyla-Rae became grisly and cried more than usual.
A GP prescribed medication for oral thrush.
Shannon remembers: "That night after visiting the doctor, I changed and fed Lyla-Rae before putting her down in her moses basket we had by our bed."
"Ben offered to do the night feed while I caught up with some sleep. Exhausted, I nodded off quickly.
"The next thing I knew, Ben shook me awake in a panic.
"Lyla wasn’t breathing. She was on top of the duvet in between us. Her skin was pale and her lips were blue.
"I ran upstairs to get mum and she called an ambulance while Ben performed CPR.
"Paramedics arrived and took over before bundling us into an ambulance.
"I begged my baby to wake up. But it was no good. She was declared dead at North Devon District Hospital. My heart was broken."
I’d lost my precious princess but people threw cups of coffee at me in the street and shouted 'baby killer'.
The police took statements from Shannon, Ben and Emma before they were allowed to leave the hospital.
Back home, devastated Ben explained how Lyla-Rae was wide awake after her bottle in the early hours of the morning.
He’d switched the TV on, cradling her in the crook of his arm.
But he’d dozed off at some point and, when he woke, Lyla wasn’t breathing.
Shannon says: "We hugged each other and cried. It didn’t make any sense.
"One minute she was a healthy happy baby. The next she was gone.’
Two weeks later, Lyla-Rae was laid to rest in a tiny white coffin.
Shannon says: "I was inconsolable, clinging to mum for comfort."
But as word got out about Lyla-Rae’s death, people turned on Shannon and Ben.
She says: "I’d lost my precious princess but people threw cups of coffee at me in the street and shouted 'baby killer'.
"Everybody had so much to say, pointing the finger of blame. Ben and I couldn’t take it any longer so we ended up moving away.
"I could escape the trolls, but I couldn’t escape my pain.
"Lying awake every night wondering what I could have done differently, I suffered panic attacks.
What is sudden infant death syndrome?
Most sudden and unexplained deaths happen during the first six months of a baby's life.
Infants born early or with a low birthweight are usually at greater risk of the syndrome.
Baby boys are usually more commonly affected by sudden infant death syndrome.
It usually happens when a baby is asleep, although it can happen when they are awake.
The exact cause is unknown, but a number of things are thought to be a factor.
Experts think that it can occur at a particular stage in a baby's development – therefore babies who are vulnerable to certain stresses can be more at risk.
This vulnerability could be due to being born prematurely or having a low birthweight, or for other reasons.
Getting tangled in bedding, tobacco smoke, a minor illness or a breathing obstruction can also be a factor.
A report warns parents to avoid these unnecessary “aids”, such as baby hammocks, cot bumpers, cushioned sleeping pods, pillows, duvets and nests.
Experts urge families to only put their baby to sleep on firm, flat, waterproof surface.
PHE and cot death charity The Lullaby Trust issued the warning in a guide, which came as evidence suggested more than one in three parents has bought or considering buying a sleep aid.
"I wanted my baby back in my arms. I was prescribed medication for anxiety and with time I finally managed to accept my baby was gone."
An inquest into Lyla-Rae’s death at Exeter County Hall in October last year recorded an open verdict.
Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances, and no evidence of neglect was found.
Shannon says: "It means that while there were no suspicious circumstances, we’ll never fully understand why my baby died. We’ll never have the answers we’d hoped for."
Last month, Shannon and Ben welcomed daughter Lily.
She says: "Lyla-Rae will always be our little angel. And we will never forget her or stop missing her. Now we’re looking to the future for Lily."
Ben says: 'There’s not many words I can use to explain how I felt waking up and finding her like I did. I just felt sick, I felt like I was in a dream and I needed to wake myself up."
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