Senior coroner for Northern Ireland John Leckey is to investigate the deaths of four babies, all aged under six months, which occurred over a seven-week period at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry earlier this year.
The four cases of sudden infant death were referred to the coroner by the hospital authorities last September and a spokesman for the PSNI said the police were also investigating the four deaths on behalf of the coroner.
A hospital spokesperson said unexpected death was always a source of sadness for staff and they have given their sincere condolences to the bereaved parents. "We are co-operating fully with the coroner's investigations. We believe it is inappropriate for us to make any further media statements on this matter pending the completion of those investigations," the spokesperson said.
In a statement, the coroner said he had set up a team of medical experts to carry out initial investigations on his behalf.
"The senior coroner has arranged for medical experts to assist with his investigations. The investigations are complex and will take some time to complete. Once the reports have been received from the experts, the need for inquests will be considered by the coroner.
"The reports will be shared with the parents of the babies, the PSNI and the hospital. The coroner's liaison officers will be keeping the families informed throughout this process," the statement said.
The experts are Prof William Thompson, Emeritus professor of obstetrics at Queen's University, Prof Sabaratnum Arulkumaran from the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's Hospital Medical School in London and Dr John Jenkins, senior lecturer in child health at Queen's University and a consultant paediatrician at Antrim Area Hospital.
As part of their investigations, the team of medical experts will question members of Altnagelvin Hospital's gynaecology, obstetrics and midwifery staffs.
The law requires the coroner to investigate deaths which are violent, unnatural, sudden or of an unknown cause. Medical staff at Altnagelvin Hospital have been concerned at the number of babies' deaths but there is no suggestion of wrongdoing.
Although the investigation is into the deaths of four babies this year, questions about a cluster of four full-term neo-natal deaths which occurred in the hospital in 2001 were asked in the House of Commons by the DUP's Iris Robinson in July of last year.
Ms Robinson asked Northern Ireland's health minister Shaun Woodward what investigations "have been conducted into full-term neo-natal deaths during September 2001 at Altnagelvin Hospital".
The minister said the hospital advised that "there were three routine blood tests carried out following full-term deaths at Altnagelvin Hospital during September 2001. The Royal Group of Hospitals have advised that they carried out one paediatric postmortem following a referral from Altnagelvin hospital on September 28th, 2001."