Latest news with #RosinaMcGovern
The Journal
07-05-2025
- The Journal
Paediatrician tells trial that baby suffered brain bleeding and fractured collar bone
A PAEDIATRICIAN HAS told the trial of a man charged with seriously assaulting his five-month-old daughter that when the child was admitted to hospital doctors found she had suffered bruising to her face, chest, abdomen and right buttock, a fractured collar bone, blood on the surface of the brain and tearing of its connective fibres. The 31-year-old accused is on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, having pleaded not guilty to three charges. The man, who can't be named to protect the identity of the child, previously entered a not guilty plea to a charge of causing serious harm to his five month old daughter on 4 January 2021. He also pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to his daughter on dates between 25 November and 15 December 2020 and with wilfully assaulting or ill-treating the child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering to the child's health or seriously affect the child's wellbeing. Dr Rosina McGovern, who is a consultant paediatrician at Cork University Hospital, said that when the child was brought to hospital on the evening of 4 January 2021 she was 'lethargic' and 'drowsy.' Her parents told medical staff that their young daughter had been vomiting and wasn't tolerating fluids. It was noted that she 'poor head control' and was 'very quiet.' In addition to bruising an X ray indicated that the baby had sustained a fractured collar bone which was 'healing.' The child had bleeding in the eyes. McGovern said an MRI showed that the young girl had blood on the surface of her brain and tearing of the fibres of the brain. She said that the parents didn't give an explanation for the injuries the child had sustained. McGovern told Judge Dermot Sheehan and the jury that children under the age of six months rarely suffer from bruising arising out of their lack of mobility. The child was found to have 'no underlying medical condition' to explain her injuries. According to the doctor, the fracture of the collar bone on such a young child was also 'unusual' given her young age. Blood was found on the spine of the child from the top of the neck to the lower back. Advertisement McGovern said that the child spent from 4 January to 18 January 2021 in hospital. The court heard that that on 5 January 2021 the child was found to have a score of nine out of fifteen on the Glasgow Coma Scale. The scale is used to objectively describe the extent of impaired consciousness in all types of acute medical and trauma patients. Under cross examination by defence barrister Ray Boland, SC, McGovern said that a score of nine means that a patient is 'quite impaired in terms of a brain injury. She told the jury that a score of less than 8 generally involves the placing of a patient in intensive care. It was her belief, the court heard, that the child had sustained 'serious harm.' Prosecution barrister Jane Hyland SC said that in Irish law serious harm is defined as an injury that creates a substantial risk of death, or causes serious disfigurement or substantial loss or impairment of mobility of the body or function of a bodily member or organ. Meanwhile, the jury also heard evidence from crèche workers who said that they noticed that the child had bruising on her cheek and forehead. One crèche worker said that she rang her manager and on her advice she documented what she had spotted and took photographs of the injuries. She said that she noticed the bruising on the 15 December 2020 when the child was dropped off wearing a festive elf outfit. She stated that she felt the bruising was 'unusual' in such a young child. She gave evidence that when she raised the matter with the mother of the child she said that it was 'nothing.' No explanation was furnished for the bruising with the crèche worker saying that the mother 'brushed it off.' Another worker present that day said that they noticed a bruise on both the left and right cheek of the child. She said that there no accident or incident in the crèche involving the child as it would have been documented. The case will continue tomorrow in front of a jury of seven women and five men.
Irish Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Five month old baby had blood on the brain & fractured collar bone, court hears
A paediatrician has told the trial of a man charged with seriously assaulting his five month old daughter that when the child was admitted to hospital doctors found she had suffered bruising to her face, chest, abdomen and right buttock, a fractured collar bone, blood on the surface of the brain and tearing of its connective fibres. The 31 year-old accused is on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court having pleaded not guilty to three charges. The man, who can't be named to protect the identity of the child, previously entered a not guilty plea to a charge of causing serious harm to his five month old daughter on January 4, 2021. He also pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to his daughter on dates between November 25 and December 15, 2020 and with wilfully assaulting or ill-treating the child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering to the child's health or seriously affect the child's wellbeing. Dr Rosina McGovern, who is a consultant paediatrician at Cork University Hospital, said that when the child was brought to hospital on the evening of January 4, 2021 she was 'lethargic' and 'drowsy.' Her parents told medical staff that their young daughter had been vomiting and wasn't tolerating fluids. It was noted that she had 'poor head control' and was 'very quiet.' In addition to bruising an X-ray indicated that the baby had sustained a fractured collar bone which was 'healing.' The child had bleeding in the eyes. Dr McGovern said an MRI showed that the young girl had blood on the surface of her brain and tearing of the fibres of the brain. She said that the parents didn't give an explanation for the injuries the child had sustained. Dr McGovern told Judge Dermot Sheehan and the jury that children under the age of six months rarely suffer from bruising arising out of their lack of mobility. The child was found to have 'no underlying medical condition' to explain her injuries. Dr McGovern stated that the fracture of the collar bone on such a young child was also 'unusual' given her young age. Blood was found on the spine of the child from the top of the neck to the lower back. She said that the child spent from January 4 to January 18, 2021 in hospital. The court heard that that on January 5, 2021 the child was found to have a score of nine out of fifteen on the Glasgow Coma Scale. The scale is used to objectively describe the extent of impaired consciousness in all types of acute medical and trauma patients. Under cross examination by defence barrister Ray Boland, SC, Dr Govern said that a score of nine means that a patient is 'quite impaired in terms of a brain injury. She told the jury that a score of less than eight generally involves the placing of a patient in intensive care. Dr McGovern said that it was her belief that the child had sustained 'serious harm.' Prosecution barrister Jane Hyland SC said that in Irish law serious harm is defined as an injury that creates a substantial risk of death, or causes serious disfigurement or substantial loss or impairment of mobility of the body or function of a bodily member or organ. Meanwhile, the jury also heard evidence from crèche workers who said that they noticed that the child had bruising on her cheek and forehead. One crèche worker said that she rang her manager and on her advice she documented what she had spotted and took photographs of the injuries. She said that she noticed the bruising on December 15, 2020 when the child was dropped off wearing a festive elf outfit. She stated that she felt the bruising was 'unusual' in such a young child. She gave evidence that when she raised the matter with the mother of the child she said that it was "nothing". No explanation was furnished for the bruising with the crèche worker saying that the mother 'brushed it off.' Another worker present that day said that they noticed a bruise on both the left and right cheek of the child. She said that there no accident or incident in the crèche involving the child as it would have been documented. The case will continue on Thursday in front of a jury of seven women and five men. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Examiner
07-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Initial fears baby at centre of a child cruelty trial had suffered brain injury
The six-month-old baby girl at the centre of a child cruelty trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court was examined by a doctor who testified on Wednesday that there were initial concerns that the child might have suffered a brain injury because of bleeding found in a scan. The infant's father denies counts of cruelty to the baby, assault causing harm, and causing her serious harm. The 31-year-old from Co Cork pleaded not guilty when arraigned at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, to three separate charges. He denied assault causing harm, assault causing serious harm, and cruelty to the child on various dates from November 25, 2020, to January 2021 when is daughter was around six months old. Consultant paediatrician, Dr Rosina McGovern said that doctors at Cork University Hospital were extremely concerned at what was shown by the CT scan when the infant was first admitted. This subdural haemorrhage was evidence of tearing of tissues connecting the right and left sides of her brain caused by a back and forth acceleration and deceleration and is associated with abusive head trauma, Dr McGovern testified. The child's parents brought her to Cork University Hospital at 9pm on January 4 following a visit to SouthDoc after the child had been vomiting for eight hours. The child had no history of trauma or falls but presented with a number of bruises on her face, cheek, stomach, abdomen, and right buttock, as well as abrasions on her left temporal area, her cheek, and her nose and her parents offered no explanation for these marks. 'She was lethargic, and she couldn't smile or wasn't vocalising which you would expect in a five month old, and there was concern that she might have suffered some brain dysfunction,' Dr McGovern said. She said an x-ray revealed the child had suffered a broken collar bone which was a very unusual in child of that age. She said she believed the child's injuries constituted serious harm as defined in Irish law as 'an injury that creates a substantial risk of death or causes serious disfigurement or substantial loss or impairment of mobility of the body or function of a bodily member of organ'. Cross-examined by defence counsel, Ray Boland, Dr McGovern agreed the child's condition improved after treatment and she was no longer lethargic after January 8, 2021, and was behaving as a five month old would be expected to behave when discharged from CUH on January 18. Judge Dermot Sheehan asked the seven women and five men of the jury to return to Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday for the case which is expected to last until at least May 16.
RTÉ News
07-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Doctor tells court baby girl suffered multiple bruises
A paediatrician has told the trial of a man charged with seriously assaulting his five-month-old daughter that when the child was admitted to hospital doctors found she had suffered bruising to her face, chest, abdomen and right buttock, a fractured collar bone, blood on the surface of the brain and tearing of its connective fibres. The 31-year-old accused is on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court having pleaded not guilty to three charges. The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, previously entered a not guilty plea to a charge of causing serious harm to his five-month-old daughter on 4 January 2021. He also pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to his daughter on dates between 25 November and 15 December 2020, and with wilfully assaulting or ill-treating the child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering to the child's health or seriously affect the child's wellbeing. Dr Rosina McGovern, who is a consultant paediatrician at Cork University Hospital, said that when the child was brought to hospital on the evening of 4 January 2021, she was "lethargic" and "drowsy". Her parents told medical staff that their young daughter had been vomiting and was not tolerating fluids. It was noted that she "poor head control" and was "very quiet". In addition to bruising an X ray indicated that the baby had sustained a fractured collar bone which was "healing." The child had bleeding in the eyes. Dr McGovern said an MRI showed that the young girl had blood on the surface of her brain and the tearing of the fibres of the brain. She said that the parents did not give an explanation for the injuries the child had sustained. Dr McGovern told Judge Dermot Sheehan and the jury that children under the age of six months rarely suffer from bruising arising out of their lack of mobility. The child was found to have "no underlying medical condition" to explain her injuries. Dr McGovern stated that the fracture of the collar bone on such a young child was also "unusual" given her young age. Blood was found on the spine of the child from the top of the neck to the lower back. She said that the child spent from 4 January to 18 January 2021 in hospital. The court heard that that on 5 January 2021 the child was found to have a score of nine out of fifteen on the Glasgow Coma Scale. The scale is used to objectively describe the extent of impaired consciousness in all types of acute medical and trauma patients. Under cross examination by defence barrister Ray Boland, Dr Govern said that a score of nine means that a patient is "quite impaired in terms of a brain injury". She told the jury that a score of less than eight generally involves placing a patient in intensive care. Dr McGovern said that it was her belief that the child had sustained "serious harm". Prosecution barrister Jane Hyland said that in Irish law serious harm is defined as an injury that creates a substantial risk of death or causes serious disfigurement or substantial loss or impairment of mobility of the body or function of a bodily member or organ. Meanwhile, the jury also heard evidence from crèche workers who said that they noticed that the child had bruising on her cheek and forehead. One crèche worker said that she rang her manager and on her advice, she documented what she had spotted and took photographs of the injuries. She said that she noticed the bruising on the 15 December 2020 when the child was dropped off wearing a festive elf outfit. She stated that she felt the bruising was "unusual" in such a young child. She gave evidence that when she raised the matter with the mother of the child, she said that it was "nothing". No explanation was furnished for the bruising with the crèche worker saying that the mother "brushed it off". Another worker present that day said that they noticed a bruise on both the left and right cheek of the child. She said that there was no accident or incident in the crèche involving the child as it would have been documented. The case will continue tomorrow in front of a jury of seven women and five men.
