A brain-damaged baby was christened in hospital shortly before his life support machine was switched off, an inquest was told.

Medical secretary Elizabeth Heywood, 43, of Pratton Avenue, Lancing, and her family did not attend the inquest into baby Harry's death.

However, in a detailed statement, read by coroner John Ransom, Mrs Heywood described the family's grief.

The mother explained how Harry was born on May 11, three weeks early, at the Worthing and Southlands Hospital.

She and the baby were allowed home the following day.

Harry, who was being breast-fed, did not seem interested in feeding and looked "a bit yellow" but when she mentioned this to the health visitor she was told this was quite common in new babies, Southwark Coroner's Court heard.

But on May 15, when she was woken at 5am by the baby crying: "He was an awful colour. He was grey and floppy."

She had thought of phoning 999 but, after taking a feed, Harry appeared to be better.

He had been "gurgling" originally but after feeding, that had gone away and, because the health visitor was due later, Mrs Heywood decided not to call in a doctor.

At about 8.30am, after her husband Keith had left home to take their other children to school, Harry had a further episode of breathing difficulties and she called an ambulance.

The mother and baby were taken to Worthing Hospital where Harry went into intensive care.

Eventually, a specialist team from Guy's Hospital in London was called and they decided Harry should go to the London specialist centre.

In a written report to the coroner, the Heywoods' GP, Dr Anja Gossens, said it was the mother's seventh pregnancy.

There had been one miscarriage but the other five before Harry arrived had been normal.

When Mrs Heywood's latest pregnancy was discovered in October last year, tests showed that, while she was overweight, she was in general good health and there had been no worries about the birth.

In her statement, Mrs Heywood described how, at Guy's, the specialist team had diagnosed brain damage and a lower respiratory tract infection and told her there was little chance of Harry ever being able to breathe unaided.

Eventually, it was decided that the life support system for the baby should be switched off.

Mrs Heywood said: "I decided to get him baptised with the family around him.

"About 15 minutes after the machine was switched off he died in my arms."

A post-mortem examination confirmed the original diagnosis and Mr Ransom recorded a verdict of death from natural causes.

He said: "The loss of a baby is always a great tragedy to a family.

"The loss of their little son so far from home is even more tragic."