"A retired consultant paediatrician has told the trial of a childminder,
accused of assaulting a baby, that it is his belief the child was the
subject of a non-accidental injury that occurred on more than one
occasion.vProfessional childminder Sandra Higgins (36), is alleged to have
caused the injuries to the 10-month-old baby she was minding at her own
home by shaking the child. Ms Higgins, of The Beeches, Drumgola Wood, Cavan Town has pleaded not
guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to intentionally or recklessly
causing serious harm to the baby on March 28, 2012.On the fourth
day of the trial, retired consultant paediatrician Dr Christopher Woods,
who has worked extensively in the area of child protection and injury
to children, said he was presented with the child's files and medical
reports and asked to review the case.“When I reviewed the material I could see there was a pattern here, a
collection of findings, and I've seen such a pattern before in cases of
non-accidental injury,” he told Alice Fawsitt SC, prosecuting.Dr
Woods referred to the fact that when Ms Higgins presented the child at
Cavan General Hospital she was suffering from active seizures, had head
injuries, a significant eye injury and bruises in various areas of her
body. “She had a superficial skin abrasions on her legs, fractures to her
ribs, head injuries and a detached retina as well as hemorrhaging in the
eye,” he said. He told Ms Fawsitt that when such a combination of injuries occurred simultaneously it indicated a non-accidental injury. During cross examination by Remy Farrell SC, defending, Dr Woods
agreed there were advantages and disadvantages to the fact that he
didn't examine the child personally. “The main advantage is that I
can look at things more objectively. The disadvantage is that you are
reliant on the information you are provided with” he said.Mr Farrell asked if an accidental injury could cause the symptoms that the child exhibited in hospital on March 28. “Theoretically yes, but it's very rare and there are little or no cases to back this up,” he said. He explained that in cases like the one before the court, the gardai, medical professionals and child services work together. “It's like a jigsaw,” he said. Dr Woods agreed that pinpointing the time that the injuries were
sustained proves difficult, as the multiple injuries make it complex. The
trial also heard evidence from Dr Peter Flynn, a Consultant Paediatric
Neurologist at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, who was
called as a witness for the defence. He told Mr Farrell that a CT scan carried out on March 28 on the child showed acute bleeding on the brain. Dr Flynn also referenced the fact that an MRI showed that there was no damage to the spinal cord. “Usually in cases of shaking, damage will be done to this area,” he said. As regards the timing of the injuries, he said that it could be
anytime between a few hours and 10 days. He also said that he saw
evidence of older injuries, that could have been sustained two or three
weeks previously. Evidence has now concluded in the trial and closing speeches before Judge Martin Nolan will begin on Tuesday."
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/
