Heartbreak as "much loved" Sheffield baby died of sudden infant death, inquest finds
“He was an amazing little boy, I want to say how loved he was and still is”
Owen Falla-Palmer tragically died at Sheffield Children’s Hospital on September 28, 2025, after his parents awoke to find him not breathing at their home in Intake.
They had all gone to bed the night before and Owen’s parent’s had no concerns over their baby beforehand.
They awoke in the night to find that Owen was fine, but then woke again later to discover he was not breathing.
Owen’s heartbroken mum, Janet Falla, was in attendance at the inquest into the baby’s death, which took place at the Medico Legal Centre in Sheffield this week.
Owen’s father dialled 999 the baby’s mum was heard in the background saying: “I think he has been crushed”.
But this was not determined in the cause of death, with coroner Rebecca Connell saying she “understood how distressed the baby’s mum was” at the time, recognising her panic when trying to explain what had happened.
Mum Janet said: “My partner couldn’t answer the questions, I was in a spiral.”
The coroner read out a statement from specialist paramedic, Samuel Hewson, describing how an ambulance crew arrived at the family home at 9.21am on the day the alarm was raised.
CPR was performed in a battle to revive Owen but he could not be saved and was pronounced dead at hospital.
When determining the exact cause of death, pathologist Marta Cohen, had to take into consideration a number of risk factors, the inquest heard.
This included Owen having a common cold, the baby’s age and the increased chances of sudden infant death in male infants.
The coroner stated that had the baby been rolled onto in bed while co-sleeping, this wouldn’t show in the post mortem, and so she accepted the pathologist’s medical cause of death as ‘sudden infant death’.
She read out a statement from one of the coroner’s officer’s, Molly Watson.
She read: “Owen was sleeping in bed when he managed to roll onto his side and curled into a ball in the foetal position.”
Concluding the inquest, the coroner said: “On the evening of the 27th, Owen appeared well, he went to sleep in the same bed as his parents who awoke to find him rolled on his side - he was taken to Sheffield Children's Hospital where he died as a result of sudden infant death.
“Owen was five weeks old when he died, he was much loved. He previously had jaundice and co-slept with his parents in a queen sized bed.”
Remembering Owen, his mum said: “I would just like to say how loved Owen is by all his family, he was such a little character in his short life.
“He had such a calm presence and a beautiful soul.
“It’s just shy of a year since Owen passed and not a day goes by that he’s not in our thoughts and hearts, we miss him dearly.”