Baby Sedated to Death; Nanny Still Works with Children

An investigation into the death of an 8-week-old baby from West London revealed that a night nanny likely administered an antihistamine to sedate the child. The baby was found unresponsive on January 15, 2024, and later declared dead. An inquest determined that police failed to seize key evidence, such as feeding bottles, missing opportunities to establish a link between the nanny and the medication.

Postmortem toxicology confirmed the presence of chlorpheniramine, a sedating antihistamine, in the baby's system. The court was satisfied the nanny administered the drug, likely because the baby was unsettled. However, due to the lack of forensic evidence gathered by police, no charges were filed. The nanny was not interviewed or arrested until October 2024, by which time all forensic leads had been lost.

As a result of these procedural failures, the nanny continues to work with children, registered with two agencies. The coroner expressed significant concerns regarding police's initial response, highlighting that a well-presented home environment should not lead to perfunctory examinations and the loss of critical evidence. The coroner urged action to prevent similar tragedies.