Nursery closed after child dies in Edinburgh

An Edinburgh nursery has been closed and a police investigation launched following the death of a baby girl who had stopped breathing.

The Careshare nursery in Port Hamilton was closed down to allow an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

It is understood the 13-month-old child was rushed to hospital, but all efforts at resuscitation failed.

A statement from Busy Bees Nurseries, the parent group of Careshare, said: “We can confirm that a child from our Port Hamilton nursery was taken to hospital on Wednesday morning as they were found to have stopped breathing. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, very sadly, the child could not be revived.”

The Managing director at Busy Bees, Marg Randles, said: “Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the family at this very sad time.

“We will do all we can to support the family and those affected by this tragedy and we are working alongside all the relevant agencies to help find the cause. The nursery has been temporarily closed to allow a thorough investigation into the circumstances.”

A police spokeswoman said: “Following a report from the Scottish Ambulance Service, Police in Edinburgh attended an address in Morrison Street where an infant child was found unwell. The child was taken to the Sick Kids Hospital where they later passed away.

“Inquiries into the full circumstances of this incident are ongoing.”

Careshare at Port Hamilton opened in 2001, and is the only nursery in the financial district with Care Inspectorate grades of five across the board.

Busy Bees has 17 nurseries across Scotland, including three in Edinburgh – at Edinburgh Park, Port Hamilton and Newhaven.