A COUPLE whose baby son was the victim of cot death said they supported a child pathologist’s warning not to allow youngsters to sleep in the same bed as their parents.

Medical science is still baffled as to what killed seven-month-old Lucas Tyler Gilheaney an inquest at Burnley Coroner’s Court was told.

But Dr Melanie Newbould told the hearing there was a higher incidence of cot death when parents slept with babies in their own bed.

Speaking after the inquest, Lucas’s parents Helen and William paid tribute to their tragic son.

And they said they would support any moves which would help other parents avoid the heartache they have gone through.

Mrs Gilheaney, 20, a former All Saints High pupil, said: “We were hoping that the inquest would give us some answers.”

Lucas had been in bed with the couple and their eldest son, William, three, before tragedy struck on March 24.

Mrs Gilheaney said Lucas was fine when she got him up in the early hours, gave him a bottle and winded him, the inquest heard.

Later she went downstairs with son William and started to give him breakfast, when she heard her husband shout out.

“It was around five minutes later, after I had gone down, when I heard him shriek,” she added.

The inquest heard the couple, of Queensway, Newchurch, took Lucas across the street to a pharmacist when they could not get any response from the baby.

While the pair waited for an ambulance another neighbour, a firefighter, attempted to resuscitate Lucas, who was then taken to Fairfield Hospital in Bury, where he was pronounced dead.

Consultant pathologist Dr Newbould said a number of tests had been conducted but no medical cause of death could be found for Lucas.

She said: “There are certain additional factors which seem to led to a higher incidence of these sudden and unexpected deaths.

“One of these seems to be sleeping in bed with adults. That seems to be an association that leads to a higher incidence.”

Mrs Gilheaney said Lucas never suffered any signs of ill health during his short life.

She said: “Lucas was no trouble, he would only cry when he was hungry. He was a little fatty.”

Mr Gilheaney, 23, who attended Haslingden High, said: “The health visitor said we had two perfectly healthy boys.”

Recording an open verdict, East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor said he was sorry the couple could not be given any new answers regarding the death of Lucas.