A HAPPY baby who loved to snuggle died of natural causes, despite being found with bedding wrapped around her head, an inquest heard.

Evelyn Rogers-McWilliams was rushed to Salisbury District Hospital on June 16, 2015 after she was found cold and unresponsive in her cot.

Despite efforts of the medical team Evelyn, aged 13 months, was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Her parents had separated before she was born and she was spending time with her father when she died.

Mr McWilliams told Salisbury Coroners Court on Friday: “It was like any other afternoon, other than she went to bed a little earlier than usual as she was tired.

“At 8am on Tuesday I changed her and put her in fresh clothes. She was not very hungry, but she seemed fine and was her happy and smiley self.”

Mr McWilliams said he put his daughter in her cot and went downstairs.

Shortly afterwards he checked on her, to find her Grobag wrapped around her head. “She was so cold and heavy,” he said.

“I rang 999 and the next 20 minutes felt like a lifetime.”

The court heard Evelyn had a habit of pulling her Grobag over her head, and this was not the cause of her death.

Evelyn’s mother Kitty Rogers was in the bath when police arrived at her door and rushed her to the hospital.

But by the time they arrived, it was too late.

“The doctors said they were sorry, they had done all they could, but she had passed away,” Miss Rogers said.

Consultant paediatric pathologist Samantha Holden said toxicology reports showed the baby had signs of adenovirus in her lungs, and enterovirus in her body, but not enough to be fatal.

Changes in Evelyn’s brain showed she had not been getting enough oxygen, but this was not related to her death.

Both parents described their daughter as a happy baby, who loved to snuggle.

Miss Rogers told the inquest that on the morning of June 15 when Evelyn was collected by her father, she was in good health.

The court heard Evelyn was an active sleeper, had no allergies or sensitivities, and had only been taken to hospital once due to a rash on her hand.

Assistant coroner Claire Balysz said: “Studies have found that there are more increased risks of babies dying when lying on their front.”

She ruled Evelyn died of natural causes, or sudden death syndrome.