'My heart has been ripped in a million pieces': Mother whose healthy three-week-old boy Harvey died suddenly in a baby sling says her family is living through a 'nightmare'
- A mother who carried her baby to a postnatal check-up did not realise he died
- She handed him to a nurse who noticed the three-week-old was not breathing
- Police are investigating whether a sling carrier had anything to do with his death
- A GoFundMe page has been set up to help ease the financial strain on the family
A mother whose baby suddenly died while she was carrying him in a sling has said she feels like her heart has been ripped into a million pieces.
Tattika Dunn walked her newborn son Harvey to the Long Jetty Community Health Centre on the NSW Central Coast for his postnatal check-up on April 8.
She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until she unwrapped him from the fabric baby sling she had carried him in and handed him over to the neonatal nurse.
Only then did they realise little Harvey had stopped breathing.
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Tattika Dunn walked her newborn son Harvey (pictured) to the Long Jetty Community Health Centre for his postnatal check up on April 8
Ms Dunn (pictured with Harvey) said she made the short trip from her home to the medical centre and spoke with nurses for eight to 10 minutes before unwrapping him from the sling
Nurses performed CPR, but he could not be resuscitated.
On Wednesday police said they are investigating whether the baby sling had anything to do with his death.
In a heartbreaking post on Tuesday night, Ms Dunn said that her baby's death remains unexplained.
She also thanked people around her for helping her through her 'nightmare'.
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'Just wanted to do a shout out, a massive thank you to a massive group of people who came together and helped me when I couldn't help myself,' Ms Dunn posted on Facebook.
'I cannot go into detail as it's still very raw and my heart feels like it's been ripped in a million pieces but on the 8th of last month whilst going for a routine check up with my 3 week old precious baby boy Harvey passed, it happened for "no known reason" nothing can be explained, a very much loved family member was taken from this world, he had a mum a dad and 4 year old twin brothers who loved him more then anything!
'When one of our worst nightmares came to play a community stood up and helped do things I just couldn't, these people are now like family.'
The parents said their other sons, twin four-year-olds Seth and Bailey (pictured together with Harvey) will now grow up without their baby brother
Tattika and Bill gave birth to their baby boy Harvey on March 12, 2019
Ms Dunn said she made the short trip from her home to the medical centre and spoke with nurses for eight to 10 minutes before unwrapping him from the sling.
The 36-year-old and her husband Bill said they 'will never stop loving, missing, and grieving for the loss of their son'.
They also said their other sons, twin four-year-olds Seth and Bailey, will now grow up without their baby brother.
She shared a post to Facebook days after Harvey's death discussing the fragility of life.
'Life is precious,' she wrote. 'Cherish every moment and hold your loved ones close.
'It's still very raw to me, but recently I lost my three-week-old baby for "no known reason".
'I am experiencing so much grief and not coping, but I had a community of people who I would now call family stand and take over for me,' she said.
A GoFundMe page was established on the family's behalf to help ease their financial burden in the coming months.
She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until she unwrapped him from the fabric baby sling she had carried him in and handed him over to the neonatal nurse
The community has set up a GoFundMe page to help ease the financial pressures on the family
'This family will soon face bills and the hardships that follow laying a child to rest,' the page reads.
'Your donation will help give them the financial help and support they need to have time to process, grieve, and attempt to heal after experiencing the worst event that could ever happen to a parent.
'It's unimaginable to most of us to even comprehend what they must be going through. There is nothing that can be done to ease the pain that comes with such an unexpected tragedy.'
Harvey's body was sent to a Newcastle morgue.
A post-mortem report will be presented to the Coroner and an inquest into his death is expected to be held.
Ms Dunn's labour was induced and the medical team were required to perform a forceps delivery, but Harvey was not believed to have any underlying conditions.
Harvey's father, Bill, has been described as an upstanding member of the community who often patrols the beach
While police are now investigating other potential causes for Harvey's death, the chief midwife at Red Nose Australia, Jane Wiggill, said regulations surrounding fabric slings are currently quite lax in Australia.
She said there are currently no regulations or standards in Australia relating to their use.
'Using baby slings is a suffocation risk, especially if a baby is placed incorrectly in a sling,' she said.
'This is because babies do not have the physical ability to move out of dangerous positions that can block their airways. This includes lying in a sling with a curved back, with their chin to chest; or lying with their face pressed against the fabric of the sling or the wearer's body — as it makes it difficult to turn their head when pressed against the fabric.'
She said the slings pose a greater risk to babies under four months of age, those who were born premature or those who already have breathing difficulties.
Police were initially investigating whether the baby sling had anything to do with Harvey's death, but are now also considering whether he died from a case of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (stock image of a sling)
