A NEW inquiry into the death of a baby boy will try to establish whether methadone found in his blood was the result of breastfeeding or given to him by other means.

The six-month-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, died on May 27, 2003.



Both his parents were methadone users at the time of his death.



His parents requested the inquest be reopened after an earlier inquiry, in 2006, failed to come up with a conclusive finding.



Coroner Sharon Freund will examine evidence presented at the initial inquest, and a subsequent review and statements by experts.



The inquest heard that on the day of the boy's death his mother had breastfed him twice.



The mother's prescribed methadone intake at the time was between 80mg and 120mg, but the inquest heard she admitted to "topping up" with methadone bought on the street.



It also heard an empty, clear methadone bottle was seen near the end of the baby's bassinet.



The inquest heard a post mortem concluded that "the level of methadone could be attributable at least in part to breast feeding".



The inquest will examine whether the level of methadone found in the boy's blood sample was accurate, when the sample was taken and whether the amount of methadone detected could have been administered through breast milk.



The inquest is continuing.

