A BABY found with brain injuries bore similarities to separate cases where the “stressed” carer has shaken the child, a court heard.
Southampton Crown Court heard paediatric brain consultant Peter Richards say it was “extremely rare” that the kind of bleeding around the tot’s brain was caused by accident.
Daniel Holdaway, 21, of Clovelly Road, St Mary’s, Southampton, is accused of three counts of grievous bodily harm on a baby in his care on three separate occasions, causing brain injury and three fractured ribs.
Mr Richards, from the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “A lot of these events occur in a momentary loss of control from a stressed carer. I believe a moment’s shake would be enough.”
The child’s mum reported that it was feeding normally when she left it that morning, but he said that it would have been an “unhappy, crying, inconsolable baby” if suffering any haemorrhages.
Mr Richards said: “It’s likely the point of collapse was the point of injury.”
Holdaway denies all three charges.
Proceeding.
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