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Scurvy listed as 'most likely' factor in six-year-old Queensland boy's death
The coroner said the deficiency went unnoticed until after a cardiac arrest, and a doctor cited 300 grams of weight gain in 11 months.
- Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher found that six-year-old Connor Dean died from severe vitamin C deficiency, which triggered a cardiac arrest during an MRI at Queensland Children's Hospital on August 10, 2024.
- Connor, who had Down syndrome, faced long-standing growth concerns due to a restricted diet lacking fruits and vegetables, with his height and weight well below the usual range even for children with his condition.
- Tests revealed Connor's vitamin C level was less than 1, well below the healthy range of 20 to 120, and scans of his skeleton showed bone changes 'in keeping with scurvy.'
- While Connor's pediatrician argued it was 'misleading' to call the product a multivitamin since it lacked vitamin C, Gallagher concluded there was insufficient evidence to directly blame the supplement, citing apparent lack of monitoring.
- Gallagher released these non-inquest findings to draw attention to the tragedy and prevent deaths in similar circumstances, noting that scurvy is now so rare in Australia that serious cases are almost always found and treated.
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15 Articles
15 Articles
Sydney Morning Herald+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
‘Sailor’s disease’ scurvy linked to young boy’s death
Scurvy, once common among convicts who went without fresh fruit and vegetables on long sea voyages, is now so rare in Australia that serious cases are almost always found and treated.
·North Sydney, Australia
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left5Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Left, 42% Center
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources lean Left, 42% of the sources are Center
42% Center
L 42%
C 42%
R 16%
Factuality
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