Vic: Baby s head felt "like bag of water": inquest told

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2000
Vic: Baby s head felt "like bag of water": inquest told

By Catherine Chisholm

MELBOURNE, April 4 AAP - A six-month-old baby's head felt "springy, like a bag of water",
about a week before he died in hospital from head injuries, an inquest heard today.

Peter Tran's head was felt by the friend of a woman who babysat him while his mother
went to work.

Peter died in the Royal Children's Hospital on February 18, 1997, from skull fractures.

He had also suffered a broken arm.

The babysitter's friend, Sanh Van Pham, who regularly accompanied the babysitter when
she cared for Peter, said he told the baby's mother, Thuy Tran, of Nunawading, on many
occasions that Peter was ill and should be taken to a doctor.

In the week before Peter was taken to hospital, Mrs Tran had told the babysitter, Phuong
Hanh Nguyen, that Peter had received a beating the night before because he had been crying
and keeping people awake, Mr Pham told Melbourne Coroner's Court.

He said he first discovered Peter's head felt soft and "springy, like a bag of water"

about a week before he died.

"It was pinky red and, when I touch it, soft," he said.

He asked Mrs Tran whether Peter had been taken to a doctor and she had said "yes".

Three or four days after he first felt Peter's head, he noticed a purple bruise, about
the circumference of a soft drink can, behind his ear.

Once again he asked whether Peter had been taken to the doctor. Mrs Tran had answered
"yes" and said the doctor had told her Peter had a cold.

On the day the baby was eventually taken to hospital, Mr Pham said he noticed Peter's
limbs were stiff and cold when he was brought to be babysat. He was pale and not alert.

One arm was less active than the other, his eyes were half open and he was not moving.

He was eventually found convulsing, Mr Pham said.

When he asked the babysitter why a doctor had not been called, she said she did not
have a Medicare card and did not know the surname of the parents.

Peter's father, Tai Tran, took no action when told his son was seriously ill. Mr Tran
had said to wait until his wife arrived home, Mr Pham said.

A Box Hill Hospital doctor, John Johnston (Johnston), said Peter's parents did not
mention when he was admitted to hospital that he had suffered trauma.

Peter initially was thought to be suffering from an infection and, because he had a
rash, meningococcal virus crossed his mind, Dr Johnston said.

Peter had a swelling on his skull and his head was larger than usual for a child of his age.

Coroner Iain (Iain) West asked Dr Johnston about the seven-and-a-half-hour period between
Peter's arrival at Box Hill and his transfer to the Royal Children's Hospital.

Dr Johnston said that if trauma had been considered the primary cause of the baby's
presentation, transfer to the neurosurgeon would have been done as quickly as possible.

The inquest continues tomorrow.

AAP cmc/er/ps/br

KEYWORD: TRAN

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