A baby was taken from his parents for six months after a 2.5cm bruise was discovered on his body which was not their fault.
The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was removed from the couple’s care after they were wrongly suspected of harming the infant.
But the baby was eventually returned to his parents after it emerged they were not responsible for the mark and that the medical tests used to justify the child’s removal had been carried out inappropriately.
The trial at Cardiff Family Court stopped after it was found the 2.5cm bruise was more consistent with mild von Willebrand disease – a condition which can cause bruising or soreness. bleeding more easily – than with an injury.
The parents said the trial had been “traumatic” and blamed the ordeal on a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
Shortly after the baby’s birth, a routine visit was made by a student health practitioner who expressed concern about a 2.5cm bruise on the baby’s lower rib, Wales Online reported .
As the parents were unable to give an exact explanation for the bruising, a child protection medical examination was carried out by a GP from Cardiff and Vale Health Board.
The “significant bruising to the chest wall” was found to be “unusual” from rolling on a toy, which the parents believe could be the cause of the mark.
A 1.5cm darker green/blue area within the 2.5cm bruise was found to be “very concerning in the event of a non-accidental injury”.
“Bleeding disorder”
Within days, Vale of Glamorgan Council had taken the baby from his parents and placed him in the care of other family members, with the parents only allowed to visit him under supervision.
The council then applied for a care order giving him parental responsibility over the child, citing the bruising as the sole reason for their request.
District Judge Julian Hussell approved an interim care order and adjourned the case for the baby to be assessed by a consultant pediatrician, who questioned the health board’s first child protection medical review Cardiff and Vale.
The pediatrician wrote in his report that the baby’s initial blood tests and examination “were not carried out as recommended by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to rule out a bleeding disorder or bleeding disorder.” “.
He concluded that the bruising to the torso was probably accidental and could have been caused by the bar of a pram catching the baby while he was placed in it.
Following this report, and approximately five months without their child, the parents requested that the case be dismissed.
However, Mr Justice Hussell did not dismiss the case after saying it was not “obvious” the council would not meet the criteria for a care order, but instead adjourned for blood tests which, according to him, “should have been carried out” earlier.
Remove request
Tests revealed mild von Willebrand disease and he concluded that the baby probably had a borderline tendency to bleed.
The council accepted it was unable to prove the bruising was caused by inadequate care and asked the judge for permission to withdraw its application for a care order.
James Lewis, the council’s lawyer, acknowledged that from the outset of the case, “the medical evidence was not very strong.”
He added: “I must say I cannot imagine the strain these proceedings have put on the mother, father and the family as a whole. It is clear that they love their son very much and want to have him back.
Vale of Glamorgan Council and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board have been contacted for comment.
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