A coroner is telling breastfeeding mothers not to consume alcohol at any stage, after finding that acute intoxication contributed to the death of a two-month-old girl whose mother had been drinking on the day.
Sapphire Rose Williams was found by her mother Janice Tua unresponsive in bed next to her in Ahipara, Northland on January 2, 2017.
Toxicology revealed the amount of alcohol found in Sapphire's blood from her heart was 308 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. The blood alcohol limit for drivers 20 or over is 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres.
Forensic pathologist Dr Simon Stables said the blood alcohol level in Sapphire would be sufficient to cause her death.
Coroner Debra Bell said Ms Tua explained in her statement that she was drinking a few days before Sapphire's death, and stated she was "at one of the cousins' house and I got on the P ... two days before baby died".
Ms Tua said she only drank a pre-mix bourbon and cola and thought she would have drunk a box - 18 cans. It would have taken her the day to drink the box and she went to bed about midnight. She described herself as feeling tipsy.
Ms Tua stated it was the following night that Sapphire passed away. She said on the day before Sapphire passed away she did breastfeed her and gave her maybe one bottle of formula. But on the day Sapphire died she was drinking, so she gave the baby bottles of formula instead of breast milk.
Coroner Bell found that the cause of Sapphire's death is unascertained, but noted the very high level of alcohol in the baby's blood.
Significant conditions contributing to the death were acute intoxication, dangerous sleeping environment, prematurity, possible septicaemia and possible mechanical asphyxia.
"Unfortunately, her mother chose to drink a large quantity of alcohol and subsequently at a later stage chose to breastfeed her.... Sapphire's mother's actions highlight what has been well documented; alcohol can pass to a child via breast milk," Ms Bell said.
"This case does highlight the fact that even with the knowledge of the dangers of drinking alcohol whilst breastfeeding, errors of judgement still occur which may contribute to the death of an infant. Therefore I stress the importance to breastfeeding mothers not to consume alcohol at any stage."
The coroner said Sapphire was placed on the bed by her mother. It's not known for what period of time "but this also highlights the risk of bed-sharing and the importance of the message that every sleep in every place should be a safe sleep".
Ms Tua told police that she smokes regularly and the baby's father smokes as well.
"It is well documented the effects on infants when residing in an environment where parents smoke," Coroner Bell said.
Janice Tua gave birth to twin girls, Sapphire and Honey, who were pre-term babies with low birth weights and related medical issues, the coroner reported. Ms Tua had seven other children aged six to one.
Ms Tua and the twins' father were staying in Ahipara with family at the time of Sapphire's death.
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