PREMATURE baby Jade Harvey's short life tragically ended just when she appeared to have won her first major battle, an inquest heard.

Weighing only 1lb 9oz at birth, Jade was placed in an intensive care incubator and spent the first three months of her life in hospital.

But within a day of being allowed home she died in her mother's arms on May 21, the Blackburn hearing was told.

The inquest heard that a blood bacteria had been found in Jade but paediatric pathologist Melanie Newbold said she could not have been certain it caused death.

Dr Newbold said the cause of death could not be ascertained but the presence of a bacteria in the blood could have been significant.

She said a premature baby was more susceptible to infections, some of which could kill a healthy adult.

Jade's mother, Caley Harvey, of Plantation Road, Blackburn, told how she had gone into hospital 27 weeks into her pregnancy. Her baby was delivered by Caesarean section.

She said Jade had spent the next 11 weeks in Queen's Park Hospital and one in St Mary's, Manchester.

Miss Harvey said that on the day she brought Jade home, a nurse had expressed concern about her breathing and had sent for the registrar, who checked the child over and said everything was fine.

Miss Harvey said the next night Jade had felt cold and was reluctant to feed.

She had given the child a bath and wrappedher in a shawl before putting her in a crib at the side of her bed.

Miss Harvey said she woke at 2.45am, checked her baby and saw she was awake.

"I picked her up to give her a cuddle," Miss Harvey continued. "I thought I would see if she wanted her milk, but as I did she made a groaning noise. I started to rub her back and realised she wasn't breathing."

The inquest was told that paramedics were quickly on the scene but nothing could be done to save Jade. Coroner Michael Singleton recorded a verdict of natural causes.