A grandmother has described the moments she battled to save the life of her four-day-old grandson.

Vanella Harper-Kissi gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to baby Israel Fuller-McLean, of Mitcham, as she unsuccessfully sought to save him when he was struck down with an undiagnosed condition.

On Tuesday, she told an inquest she realised the boy had stopped breathing as his mother, Amanda Fuller-McLean, telephoned a doctor after her son showed signs of illness.

Ms Harper-Kissi said: “I was stroking his cheek to get some kind of reaction.

“In the pit of my stomach I knew something wasn’t right.

“[Mrs Fuller-McLean] shrank back in her seat and said ‘Mum, is he breathing?’ Everything was manic after that.”

Westminster Coroner’s Court heard Israel was born on April 3, 2011.

He was taken to St George’s Hospital in Tooting from the family’s home in Laings Avenue, but died hours later.

The inquest heard he had shown signs of poor circulation and mild jaundice in the days before his death, but midwives assured his mother these were common in newborn babies.

Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said there was no suggestion the baby had been neglected or mistreated, or that medical staff should have been able to predict the infant’s condition.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, she said the likely cause of Israel’s death was a genetic disorder that left him struggling to convert fat into energy.

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