Avoid sleeping with babies, inquest told

Parents should avoid sleeping with their babies for at least the first six months of their lives to prevent infant deaths, an inquest has heard.

Victorian Coroner John Olle is investigating the deaths of five boys aged from two months to 19 months who died while sharing a bed or sleeping surface with an adult.

"These five infants are a small representative sample of a significant number I was first confronted with when I first became aware of this horror," Mr Olle said on Tuesday.