Doctors Discover Abuse Traces in Infant: “I Opened the Medical History and My Jaw Dropped”

A two-month-old infant admitted to a Warsaw hospital with suspected choking was found to have severe injuries pointing to physical abuse, echoing a nearly identical case involving his older brother six years prior.

Suspected Choking Leads to Critical Discovery

A two-month-old boy was brought to the Children’s Clinical Hospital of UCK WUM in Warsaw on July 8 with suspected choking during feeding. Shortly after admission to the pediatric ward, he suffered respiratory arrest with brief circulatory arrest, and the infant was transferred to the intensive care unit.

– At first, nothing clearly indicated violence, but because we found no changes in imaging tests typical of choking, and the child was barely conscious, we began looking for other causes of his condition – said PAP anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist Dr. Magdalena Mierzewska-Schmidt.

Rib Fracture and Retinal Hemorrhages

The hospital staff grew concerned due to the parents’ behavior and the child’s condition. – The mother seemed emotionally absent. The father persistently asked about various details. It was unusual enough that we performed a toxicological test, although it is not routinely done under suspicion of choking. We felt that something in this story did not add up – said Dr. Mierzewska-Schmidt.

– The child was dirty. He had soiled nails and skin, including the diaper area. This of course does not prejudge violence, but it completed the picture that had raised our concern from the beginning – she noted. Further diagnostics revealed an older rib fracture, bleeding into the central nervous system, and retinal hemorrhages. – These were injuries indicating that the child may have been shaken, suffocated, or both mechanisms could have occurred simultaneously – the doctor said.

Doctor Uncovers Brother’s Medical History

The hospital launched applicable procedures. The staff notified the appropriate institutions through the legal department, established a Blue Card, and informed a social worker. The breakthrough came when the doctor checked the child’s treatment history in the hospital system. – I opened the medical history and my jaw dropped. It turned out that the older brother of this child also appeared in it. The surname was so characteristic that only one previous patient popped up. Then everything started to fall into place – said Magdalena Mierzewska-Schmidt.

The documentation showed that six years earlier, the boy’s older brother had also been brought to the same hospital as a four-month-old infant. He was initially hospitalized with consciousness disorders and was subsequently readmitted with extensive injuries. – He had fractured ribs, limbs, and skull bones. Practically most of the bones that can be broken in an infant. For a long time afterwards, he required orthopedic treatment – the doctor reported.

Investigation and Prosecutor’s Office Stance

From the information Mierzewska-Schmidt reached, the proceedings in that case were discontinued due to failure to detect the perpetrator. The boy then stayed in foster care and under the care of his grandmother before returning to his parents. – We realized we were not dealing with a single event. It was the same family, the same pattern, and another infant with severe injuries – she said.

The doctor expected a quick reaction from law enforcement after reporting the suspicion of violence. – From my point of view, nothing happened for over a dozen days. The parents still came to the child, so I started calling the court and prosecutor’s office myself. Shortly after, I was interrogated by the police – she said.

A different course of events was presented by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw. In response to PAP’s questions, prosecutor’s office spokesperson Piotr Antoni Skiba informed that the investigation regarding the physical abuse of a minor between April 21 and July 8 is being conducted by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Pruszków. He emphasized that the proceedings were initiated on July 13, the same day the notification from the hospital reached the prosecutor’s office.

“So far, the parents of the victimized child and the doctor caring for him in the hospital have been questioned as witnesses. The prosecutor is gathering medical documentation from UCK WUM as well as from other facilities that provided health services to the child,” the spokesperson conveyed in an email.

Restraining Orders Imposed on Parents

He added that after gathering full documentation, a forensic medicine expert will be appointed to determine, among other things, the mechanism behind the child’s head injuries. Skiba also reported that at the prosecutor’s request, the court appointed a representative for the minor to represent his interests in criminal proceedings.

The police issued a restraining order against the parents, barring them from coming within at least 100 meters of their older son, and the boy was placed under the care of his grandparents. Meanwhile, the District Court in Pruszków informed PAP that in accordance with the court president’s order of August 7, the restraining order preventing the parents from approaching the younger child was extended as a precautionary measure. The ban will remain in effect until a substantive ruling concluding the proceedings in the first instance is issued.

The 3rd Family and Juveniles Division is currently conducting proceedings aimed at determining the child’s future place of residence and designating the individuals or entities responsible for his care. It was emphasized that all decisions necessary to secure the child’s interests and welfare are being made on an ongoing basis. The hearing was scheduled for Monday, August 10.