Richard
5th May 2004, 06:51 AM
Thanks to Lynne Kelly for pointing this out to me. Lynne is just about to have her book "The Skeptic's Guide to the Paranormal" published here in Australian and soon in the US and the UK.
see: http://www.lynnekelly.com.au/
Inquest told parents 'rejected advice'
By Jamie Berry
November 26, 2003
The parents of a 13-month-old girl who died after a series of seizures refused to treat their child with anti-convulsant medicine and instead opted for alternative therapies, an inquest heard yesterday.
The Coroners Court was told that Warren and Helena Denley were concerned that their daughter, Isabella, suffered serious side-effects from medicine used to treat epilepsy.
The inquest heard that Mr and Mrs Denley had seen a variety of alternative therapists, including a psychic, who told them that Isabella was "reliving a past life trauma".
Isabella died at her home in Kew on October 19 last year.
Mark Mackay, a neurologist at the Royal Children's Hospital, said Isabella had suffered from "life-threatening epilepsy" and needed anti-convulsant medicine. But the inquest heard that Mrs Denley wanted to take Isabella off the medicine because of side-effects, including hyperactivity and sleep loss.
"I was uncomfortable with the fact that the parents were nominating me as Isabella's treating medical practitioner despite the fact that they were refusing to follow my medical advice," Dr Mackay said.
"Isabella's mother told me that she did not want to see someone else because it was fate that brought us together."
Dr Mackay said he called the Department of Human Services' child protection unit after Isabella's parents failed to heed his advice, as her seizures were resulting in frequent admissions to hospital.
Dr Mackay said Mr Denley was "extremely angry" and told him he had no right to call DHS. "I told him there was a legal mandate that required me to notify the department... if I felt a child was at risk," he said. The department monitored Isabella for almost two months, the inquest heard, but stopped a month before her death. Compliance with the recommended treatment was monitored via urine and blood tests.
While Dr Mackay said Isabella had suffered from epilepsy, an exact cause of death was not established, as Mr and Mrs Denley lodged an application with coroner Phil Byrne requesting that no autopsy be performed.
Forensic pathologist David Ranson said that in the absence of an autopsy, he was unable to determine whether there was any internal trauma or an underlying disease that could have directly or indirectly contributed to Isabella's death.
But Dr Ranson said toxicology samples taken from Isabella did not detect any anti-convulsant drugs in her system.
"Clearly, if this child was having a decreased number of seizures in association with medication... there is an increased possibility of a seizure occurring in the absence of controlling of medication," Dr Ranson said. "In the setting of such a seizure, death could occur."
The inquest continues.
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/25/1069522605256.html
see: http://www.lynnekelly.com.au/
Inquest told parents 'rejected advice'
By Jamie Berry
November 26, 2003
The parents of a 13-month-old girl who died after a series of seizures refused to treat their child with anti-convulsant medicine and instead opted for alternative therapies, an inquest heard yesterday.
The Coroners Court was told that Warren and Helena Denley were concerned that their daughter, Isabella, suffered serious side-effects from medicine used to treat epilepsy.
The inquest heard that Mr and Mrs Denley had seen a variety of alternative therapists, including a psychic, who told them that Isabella was "reliving a past life trauma".
Isabella died at her home in Kew on October 19 last year.
Mark Mackay, a neurologist at the Royal Children's Hospital, said Isabella had suffered from "life-threatening epilepsy" and needed anti-convulsant medicine. But the inquest heard that Mrs Denley wanted to take Isabella off the medicine because of side-effects, including hyperactivity and sleep loss.
"I was uncomfortable with the fact that the parents were nominating me as Isabella's treating medical practitioner despite the fact that they were refusing to follow my medical advice," Dr Mackay said.
"Isabella's mother told me that she did not want to see someone else because it was fate that brought us together."
Dr Mackay said he called the Department of Human Services' child protection unit after Isabella's parents failed to heed his advice, as her seizures were resulting in frequent admissions to hospital.
Dr Mackay said Mr Denley was "extremely angry" and told him he had no right to call DHS. "I told him there was a legal mandate that required me to notify the department... if I felt a child was at risk," he said. The department monitored Isabella for almost two months, the inquest heard, but stopped a month before her death. Compliance with the recommended treatment was monitored via urine and blood tests.
While Dr Mackay said Isabella had suffered from epilepsy, an exact cause of death was not established, as Mr and Mrs Denley lodged an application with coroner Phil Byrne requesting that no autopsy be performed.
Forensic pathologist David Ranson said that in the absence of an autopsy, he was unable to determine whether there was any internal trauma or an underlying disease that could have directly or indirectly contributed to Isabella's death.
But Dr Ranson said toxicology samples taken from Isabella did not detect any anti-convulsant drugs in her system.
"Clearly, if this child was having a decreased number of seizures in association with medication... there is an increased possibility of a seizure occurring in the absence of controlling of medication," Dr Ranson said. "In the setting of such a seizure, death could occur."
The inquest continues.
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/25/1069522605256.html