TWO DOCTORS who examined a five-month-old baby girl prior to her death at Temple Street hospital found that she had retinal haemorrhages in both of her eyes, an inquest heard yesterday.
Baby Rebecca Whyte of Springdale Road, Raheny, Dublin, died at the hospital on August 28th, 2007.
A postmortem by State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy gave a cause of death that was not shaken baby syndrome.
Specialist registrar in ophthalmology at Temple Street hospital, Dr Sylvia Jungkim, told an inquest that she examined Rebecca, who had bilateral fixed dilated pupils, on the morning of August 27th and found that she had retinal haemorrhages in both of her eyes, which were more prominent in her right eye.
A vitreous haemorrhage (bleeding into the middle chamber of the eye) was also found in her right eye.
Consultant ophthalmologist at the hospital Dr Ian Filtcroft examined the baby that evening and witnessed similar findings.
Dr Filtcroft told the inquest yesterday that the findings were consistent with trauma, once clotting problems and other medical problems including metabolic disorders were ruled out.
The inquest heard that the baby had a history of seizures, and had seizures when she arrived at the hospital.
She was admitted with queried meningitis.
The coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, adjourned the inquest for further mention until a date in July.
The substantive inquest will be heard later that month.