NESTLING on his mother's shoulder, little Harrison Wright looks contented, safe and secure.

But only a day later, while sleeping in a similar manner on his dozing father, the five-week-old baby quietly died - a tragic victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Today his parents, Kerry and Paul Wright, of Ashton Avenue, Clifton, York, spoke of their nightmare experiences, and warned other couples to be on their guard against the mysterious condition which claims about one life per day in the UK.

The syndrome is also known as cot death, but the couple said that, to their amazement, they had been told babies were more at risk while sleeping on their parents than in their cots.

GRIEVING parents Kerry and Paul Wright today told how they lost their five-week-old baby to "cot death" - despite their child not being in a cot.

Little Harrison Wright looked contented, safe and secure while dozing on the shoulder of his father, but the baby quietly died - a tragic victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Today, Kerry and Paul, of Ashton Avenue, Clifton, York, spoke of their nightmare experience, and warned other couples to be on their guard against the mysterious condition which claims about one life per day in the UK.

The syndrome is also known as cot death, but the couple said that, to their amazement, they had been told babies were more at risk while sleeping on their parents than in their cots.

Kerry, 32, who has four other children, all boys, also revealed how she was now pregnant again, and that she feared the tragedy might happen a second time. "I'm petrified," she said.

But she said she was doing everything in her power to ensure the next baby did not suffer the same fate. "I've given up smoking - and I was a 20-a-day person - and stopped drinking, and I go swimming."

Paul, 41, said doctors had also told them they could have a special alarm to put under the next baby's mattress, which would alert them if it suddenly stopped breathing.

An inquest heard how Harrison had been an apparently fit and healthy baby, born after a problem-free pregnancy for Kerry.

However, he had been restless and colicky for a couple of days, failing to settle, and Paul had gone downstairs at 4am to look after him.

Paul told the Evening Press he had winded Harrison on his shoulder, and then, tired from a night of broken sleep, had dozed on the sofa with him still lying on him.

Kerry said she came downstairs the following day and saw something was wrong. "I saw his hand was blue," she said. "I just screamed: "He's dead."

Paul said: "I used to be a lifeguard and attempted CPR (resuscitation), and then Kerry drove us to the hospital."

Staff there confirmed Harrison had been dead for about half-an-hour.

York Coroner Donald Coverdale said doctors had found no injuries, no congenital abnormalities and no infections, and he ruled that Harrison died of natural causes through SIDS, which he described as a "devastating and distressing" condition.

Kerry said she had not planned to get pregnant again so quickly, and she was desperately hoping the new baby would not be born on November 6, the day Harrison died. "That is Harrison's day," she said.

A mother who claims she was wrongly convicted of killing her two children is expected to be cleared and freed from prison today.

Prosecution lawyers have indicated they will not oppose an appeal by Donna Anthony, 31, who was jailed for life in 1998 for murdering her baby daughter, Jordan, and baby son, Michael.

Anthony, of Yeovil, Somerset, always claimed both children were victims of cot death and not smothering as alleged.

Cot death decline

THE Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths confirmed today that babies can die of cot death anywhere and at any time, including in their parents' arms.

A spokesman said most died peacefully in their sleep, without pain or distress.

He said SIDS referred to infant deaths which remained unexplained after post-mortem examination.

The condition was most common in babies during their second month of life.

He said the rate of SIDS had declined 75 per cent since a campaign to reduce the risks was launched in 1991.

The safest place for a baby to sleep was on its back in a cot in the parent's room, with its feet touching the bottom of the cot.

How to reduce the risks

Cut smoking in pregnancy

Place babies on their backs to sleep

Do not let babies get too hot

Do not sleep together on a sofa or armchair

Do not sleep in bed with babies if you smoke, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken drugs making you sleepy

Updated: 10:04 Monday, April 11, 2005