Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre to determine what caused the death of a two-month-old baby girl from Penal.
The child died at the Siparia Health Facility last night after she was brought in unresponsive with head injuries.
Reports state that at around 4:55 pm, the 25-year-old mother left her baby lying in a bedroom at their Bunsee Trace, Penal Rock Road home. When the mother checked on the infant around 5:13 pm she saw her bleeding from a cut to the top of her head.
According to a Guardian Media report, the mother contacted the child’s grandmother, a patient care assistant, who was at work. The baby’s mother and 24-year-old father then placed a plaster on the child’s head while they waited for the grandmother who got home around 7:20 pm. They then took the baby to the health facility where she died around 8:28 pm.
The baby had a 2cm laceration to the top of the head, a 6cm x 6cm hematoma bump on the left side back of the head and a 5cm x 5cm hematoma bump to the right side back of the head.
The infant also had bruises around the eyes called “raccoon eyes”, where blood pools under the skin.
Officers of the South Western Division and Homicide South visited the scene. The Child Protection Unit is also involved in the investigation.