Name: “Child D”.
Died: July 2, 2017.
Age at death: Less than 1 year.
Cause of death: Neglect.
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Disability: Spina bifida.
Details:
Child D, who cannot be named for confidentiality reasons, was born a twin; her twin was non-disabled. Because of her spina bifida, she needed to use a catheter to urinate, and her parents were taught to do this while she was in the hospital. Her family was known to social services.
Toward the end of her life, hospital staff noticed she was growing thin, and she was treated for a urinary tract infection. In the hospital, her father was observed not to be catheterizing the baby girl. At a medical appointment, professionals noted that she was “not her smiley self”.
When she was less than a year old, Child D was brought to the hospital unresponsive and declared dead. Authorities found her five siblings poorly cared for and her home badly kept. They concluded that Child D had been catheterized only intermittently, and that she had died due to the poor care given her by her parents.
Case Status:
Her parents were charged.
Sources:
Severly disabled baby girl found dead in Glasgow home was not properly cared for by parents, review found
Severely disabled ‘smiley’ Scots baby dies after being neglected by parents
Significant Case Review: Child D