20/08/2009

Delay Slammed As Infant Death Probed

Just hours after a post mortem examination on the body of a seven-week-old baby girl from Sligo was completed, further tests have been ordered.

The latest move comes as news of a two-day delay in informing the police emerged.

The infant was initially taken to Sligo General Hospital by her parents on Saturday morning with suspected head injuries.

She died yesterday afternoon and while no other details were immediately released at the time, it was confirmed by gardaí that further tests are to be carried out over the next number of weeks by the Office of the State Pathologist.

The results of the post mortem are not being released either, but it is known that police have also been examining the baby's family home as part of their investigation into the death.

Last night, it emerged that staff at the hospital only informed the police of their concerns about the nature of the baby's injuries on Monday morning.

As this was a full 48 hours after the infant was admitted, Gardaí said they were "very annoyed" they were not told of the baby's injuries earlier in the weekend.

"A seven-week-old baby comes in to a hospital with injuries. It is obvious we should have been told straight away," a garda source said, according to today's Irish Independent.

The infant was rushed to the hospital by her parents, Rosanna Farrell and Michael Scanlon, who are both in their mid-twenties, on Saturday morning after they found her lying unconscious on their bedroom floor.

They called an ambulance but had rushed to Sligo General Hospital in a neighbour's car before the ambulance arrived.

However, the baby never regained consciousness and remained on a life support machine until that was finally switched off on Tuesday.

(BMcC/KMcA)

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