'When I woke up, I realised my baby wasn't breathing'
A mother hoping to raise awareness around co-sleeping has told how she woke to find her baby was not breathing.
Dawn Fernand, from Forfar described how her baby Fern smiled "her first and last smile" the night before her death in November 2014.
"Her dad started CPR straight away but of course it was too late," she said.
Fern had slept in a moses basket during the night but they fell asleep together after an early morning feed.
There were no alcohol or drugs involved in Fern's death. Tests later revealed she had stopped breathing several times during her life, so co-sleeping may not have been to blame.
Dawn shared her story as the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has for the first time tracked the number of babies who died while co-sleeping with parents, following concerns identified as a result of its investigations.
The solicitor general said the figures suggested some babies were dying in "high-risk" co-sleeping situations.
NHS Scotland no longer urges parents never to bedshare with babies, accepting that some parents will do so, but it offers advice on making it safer.
