Buckinghamshire County Council vs Andrews and Stillwell – EDS not Shaken Baby Syndrome
In August 2016 care proceedings were issued in relation to Effie after she was found to have subdural and retinal haemorrhaging (bleeding on the brain and the back of the eyes). Effie had collapsed at home, she was unresponsive, unable to breathe properly and having seizures. Her parents were accused of shaking her and she was placed into foster care. I represented her father, Craig.
Unusually, the judgment is totally open and so I am able to name the child and the parents.
During the course of the proceedings we sought to instruct a geneticist to establish if Effie had a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. It was confirmed that she had EDS IV (previously known as vascular EDS).
Effie thus has a collagen deficit which impacts on the formation of all tissue particularly noted in the formation of the arterial and venous system. It is characterised by thin and translucent skin, easy bruising, vascular and arterial rupture which may occur spontaneously. Vascular dissection or rupture, gastro intestinal perforation, or organ rupture are the presenting signs seen in the majority of adults with vascular EDS.
At the conclusion of a 10 day fact finding hearing, after hearing from six medical experts, the local authority sought to withdraw its application for a care order on the basis that the medical evidence was clear that Effie’s injuries were related to her medical condition. The court accepted this request and agreed fully. A full, open judgment was handed down.
The parents have been exonerated fully and Effie will return to their care imminently.
Read the full judgment here: http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWFC/OJ/2017/B19.html&query=(Wollen)+AND+(Michelmore)
You can learn more about EDS through EDS UK https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/