Parents of a twin baby boy who died suddenly, aged four months, may never know what caused his death.

Maximus Jones and his brother Aramis were born prematurely in January, but were allowed home with oxygen therapy.

An inquest at Archbishop’s Palace, Maidstone, heard Maximus was considered the stronger twin.

But on Saturday, May 14, mum Lucie Jones was preparing for the arrival of friends at her Tonbridge home, carrying Maximus in a sling in front of her, when she noticed something was wrong.

She told the hearing: “We were having our first social event since the birth, some friends were coming over for afternoon tea. I was experienced at using the sling and I could see his face.

“I always checked their chests were moving and when I looked down he wasn’t breathing. I immediately took him out of the sling and called my husband, Justin. We called 999 straight away and started CPR.”

Maximus was resuscitated and rushed to the intensive care unit at King’s College Hospital in London, but he died three days later.

Dr Liina Palm, consultant paediatric pathologist at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, was involved in the postmortem examination. She told the hearing it was a difficult examination because it was carried out eight days after the baby died.

The pathologist said there was no sign of lung damage or anything else that could have caused Maximus’s death other than the fact he was born prematurely, meaning he was more vulnerable than a full-term baby.

She told the hearing she and colleagues considered whether the use of the sling could have contributed to Maximus’ death, but said there was no evidence of it. Dr Palm said: “From our point of view there is absolutely nothing to explain what happened to this little boy.”

Coroner Roger Hatch concluded Maximus died as a result of sudden unexpected death in infancy.