Inquest into the death of Alison Woods
Deceased
Alison Rose Woods
Demographics
5y, female
Date of death
2004-07-02
Finding date
2005-06-06
Cause of death
chronic hydrocephalus
AI-generated summary
Alison Rose Woods, a 5-year-old girl with severe congenital brain damage, spastic quadriplegia, and chronic hydrocephalus since birth, died at home in Katherine on 2 July 2004. She required constant medication and full-time care for daily seizures and severe developmental delay. Post-mortem examination confirmed death from chronic hydrocephalus; progressive increase in intracranial pressure had reduced brain size to extremely thin tissue. The coroner found no evidence of injury or disease, confirmed excellent care provision by parents and carers throughout her life, and identified no preventable factors. This case underscores the natural progression of severe congenital neurological conditions and highlights appropriate end-of-life care in community settings for children with profound disabilities.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Drugs involved
Contributing factors
- congenital brain damage
- progressive increase in intracranial pressure
- severe developmental delay
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