A nanny who was found guilty of ‘sedating a baby to sleep’ with antihistamines has been named as a professional with more than 20 years of experience.
On January 15, 2024, an eight-week-old baby boy was found unresponsive in his crib in the early hours of the morning.
At the time, the Metropolitan Police found no obvious cause of death.
A toxicology report later found a sedative antihistamine – commonly sold under the brand name Piriton – in his bloodstream.
Sandra Davidson has now been named as the night nanny responsible for his care, after the court ruled in favour of significant public interest.
The court was satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Davidson had ‘administered the chlorpheniramine’ to sedate the baby – who had been described as ‘unsettled and fussy who woke frequently.’
But it has now been revealed the inquest was told that a half-filled bottle of Piriton was found at Davidson’s home during a police search – bolstering calls for mandatory background checks of nannies.
Davidson, a nanny with about 20 years of experience, is understood to have recommended to the family by the Night Nannies agency.
An inquest into the death of an eight-week-old baby boy found ‘forensic opportunities were missed’ by the Met Police. The report also highlights the system-wide failures of in-home childcare in the UK
The agency does not employ nannies directly. They are self-employed and work directly with the parents but are required to show ten references, an up-to-date DBS check and be first-aid-trained to be affiliated with the agency.
Nannies working with the agency are prohibited from administering medication.
As a night nanny, Davidson was responsible for the baby’s care from 9pm to 7am, with her shift ending just 45 minutes after he was found unresponsive in his crib.
Resuscitation was attempted and an ambulance was called, but heartbreakingly the baby was pronounced dead at 7am.
‘He was found to have no signs of injury nor neglect and his home environment was in order after scene examination,’ the report read.
Davidson allegedly told the paramedics she had fed the baby that night and this information was provided to police officers at the scene – who failed to seize bottles despite knowing toxicology tests are routinely carried out in such incidences.
The police and child death team examined the home and were satisfied that the environment did not raise any obvious concerns,
But Professor Fiona Wilcox, senior coroner on the case, believes forensic opportunities were ‘missed’, that may have been able to ‘establish the criminal standard.’
The inquest was told that a half-filled bottle of liquid Piriton was found in a kitchen cabinet during the search of Davidson’s home, according to The Times
Davidson was not arrested or interviewed and the property was not searched until October 2024, 10 months after the tragic incident .
‘By then all forensic opportunities had been lost,’ Prof Wilcox said – an oversight she labelled ‘insufficient’ given the potential role of poisoning in such cases.
As a result, the cause of death was listed as sudden unexpected death in infancy.
Evidence was heard that chlorphenamine causes sedative effects and has been associated with child deaths and should not be administered to a baby this age.
Expert opinion accepted by the court was that this drug could possibly have caused or contributed to the baby’s death, but it could not be found that it probably did.
Concluding her findings in the prevention of future death report, Prof Wilcox raised concerns that child death investigation teams are ‘too easily reassured’ when there are no immediate signs of neglect or injury to the deceased child.
The Metropolitan Police added: ‘Our thoughts remain with the family of the baby following the conclusion of the inquest into their death.
‘We are in the process of formally responding to the concerns raised by the coroner and cannot provide further comment at this stage.’
Whilst most people can safely take antihistamines, the NHS states the drug may not be suitable for children under the age of one.
Children under six-years-old should not be given medicines that contain chlorphenamine along with other ingredients.
Antihistamines work by blocking the effects of histamine in the body, which is released when the body detects something harmful, like an infection.
It causes blood vessels to expand and the skin to swell, which helps protect the body.
They can also make you feel sleepy which is why doctors sometimes recommend taking drowsy antihistamines, like Piriton, for a short time to help you sleep if your allergy symptoms keep you awake at night.
But, the NHS warns, it shouldn’t be taken solely for sleep problems.
The coroner for inner West London has recommended police training guidelines to be updated and for nannies to be trained not to give Piriton to children without medical advice and parental consent.
A spokesperson for the National Nanny Association acknowledged that the report highlights ‘a serious gap in the regulation of in-home childcare roles’.
The Times, who requested Davidson to be named on the ground of public interest, were unable to reach Davidson for comment.
But she told the inquest in February that she regularly attended training.
Understandably, the boy’s death and concerns raised by the coroner have prompted renewed calls for stricter oversight of the nanny sector which remains largely unregulated.
A spokesperson from the National Nanny Association said: ‘When we continue to see concerned raised at this level, it underlines that this is not about one isolated incident – it’s a systemic issue.
‘Parents are placing trust in individuals using professional titles, often assuming a level of training and oversight that simply isn’t required.
‘That has to change. We have been calling for mandatory registration, clear standards, and proper safeguarding checks for some time. This report reinforces just how urgent that need now is.’
The manufacturers of Piriton have been approached for comment.
