A SEVENTEEN-day-old baby died in her dad's arms after she fell asleep on his chest, an inquest heard.

Milani McKay, of Canal Way, Altham was laying on her father Madison - who was on the sofa after she woke up crying in the night.

When her dad was woke up by Milani's mother Chloe a couple of hours after at around 5am on March 8 last year, they discovered her unresponsive on the couch.

Paramedics who were called to the scene were unable to bring the baby back to life and she was pronounced dead at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital.

But at an inquest at Preston Coroner's Court, East Lancashire assistant coroner Richard Taylor said there was 'insufficient evidence' to say how Milani died.

The inquest heard from Home office pathologist Dr Philip Lumb, who said he unable to ascertain the cause of death."

Dr Lumb, who carried out a post-mortem examination into Milani's death, said: "Milani had been co-sleeping with her father and was found in a collapsed state at around 5am on March 8, 2017.

"She was taken to hospital and was announced dead on arrival.

"There were no significant findings in her medical notes.

"The child had been well looked after and was clean.

"Milani had been co-sleeping and had been found lying in between her father and the back of the sofa in an unresponsive state.

"This could indicate accidental overlaying as a cause of death.

"But young infants also die suddenly and and unexpectedly of Sudden infant death syndrome.

"So it's possible she could have died of this while co-sleeping with her father or of accidental overlaying.

"It's impossible to differentiate between the two and whether she died naturally or not.

"So cause of death is one that is unascertained."

Milani's father Madison said in a statement: "On the night of March 7, I started feeding her at midnight.

"She was then wrapped in her blanket in the moses basket but she started to get agitated and cried.

"So I sat on the sofa with her and don't remember anything until I was woke up in the morning by her mum.

"We could see she was unresponsive and then rang 999, where we followed their instructions and she was given mouth-to-mouth resucitation and taken to Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital."

Concluding, assistant coroner Mr Taylor, said: "Milani died on March 8, 2017, after falling asleep on her father.

"There is insufficient evidence to say that played a part in her death."