Demographics
0y, male
Coroner
Clements
Date of death
2007-08-25
Finding date
2012-12-06
Cause of death
Traumatic head injuries including subdural haemorrhage, intracranial haemorrhage, ischaemic necrosis of the brain, cerebral oedema and axonal injury
AI-generated summary
A seven-week-old infant died from traumatic head injuries including subdural haemorrhage, retinal haemorrhages, and axonal injury. Medical evidence established two separate traumatic brain injuries occurring approximately one month apart, with the final injury likely occurring on the day of hospital admission. Multiple rib fractures were also identified at autopsy. All treating medical experts rejected proposed accidental explanations (a toddler's fall with a plastic pot, an older sibling falling on the infant) as inconsistent with the injury pattern. The clinical lesson is that the classic triad of subdural haemorrhage, retinal haemorrhage, and encephalopathy in an infant should raise immediate concern for non-accidental injury. Early recognition of inconsistencies between history and injuries, and appropriate notification of child protection authorities, is critical. The coroner could not determine who inflicted the injuries or precisely when, though evidence suggested possible vigorous shaking.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Clinical conditions
2y · Female·Complications of severe anaemia and SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) infection
A two-year-old girl died from complications of severe iron-deficiency anaemia and COVID-19 infection. She had significant feeding difficulties, took almost exclusively milk and yoghurt, and was profoundly anaemic with po…
5y · Male·Complications of burns
A 5-year-old boy died from complications of severe burns sustained during a fuel ignition incident at his father's rural property. While refuelling a small motorcycle, the father failed to shut off the engine and did not…
2y · Female·Complications of bacterial chest infection (Staphylococcus aureus)
A 2-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girl died from complications of bacterial chest infection (Staphylococcus aureus) with concurrent Human metapneumovirus infection, presenting as left empyema and bilater…
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. Some material may have been redacted or restricted by court order or privacy requirements. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction — report an inaccuracy here.