Chloé (Baby aged 1 months, France)

Introduction

My spouse and I were 29 and 27 years old at the time of the accident. We are co-managers of an equestrian tourism facility, and my husband is a volunteer firefighter. We welcomed our first wanted baby in the spring of 2025.

The Pregnancy and Birth

The pregnancy went very well. We knew that the baby would likely be small and therefore followed regular check-ups to monitor its growth. The birth proceeded without any particular issues. Despite a rather long labor, the baby was born vaginally weighing 2kg920 for a height of 49cm. Nothing abnormal.

We were thrilled to meet our little girl. The first few days went well and everything happened naturally. Baby slept well, ate properly, and was quite calm. We gradually found our balance as a family of three.

Our daughter is still with us.

The Day Everything Changed

My spouse fell down the stairs while going up, holding our baby at 3 weeks old. A hematoma on the side of her head was immediately visible. For a few seconds, the baby seemed “elsewhere.” Everything happened very quickly. My spouse called me to warn me about the fall and the urgency of the situation. He called 15, speaking with three people who all emphasized that our daughter had a significant hematoma on the side of her head after hitting a step during the fall. She was crying and seemed to be falling asleep at times. The SAMU did not trigger transport or send a medical team, which remains difficult for us to accept today. We were asked to take our child to the hospital located 30 minutes away. Our daughter was therefore taken care of by pediatric emergency services an hour after her fall. A scan revealed a skull fracture associated with subdural hemorrhage. Our little girl was then airlifted three hours after we arrived at the emergency room to reach the Angers University Hospital in pediatric intensive care.

When the Diagnosis Fell

A resuscitation doctor reported the case “as a precaution” the day after the accident. The medical examiner’s report indicated that shaken baby syndrome could not be ruled out, which plunged us into a real nightmare. We learned about the procedure two days after the accident. We were summoned to our home, two hours away from the hospital where our child was located, as quickly as possible. We had never considered being suspected of abuse. We were shocked and demobilized. We were afraid of losing our child due to the accident and then realized that we could also lose her because of the procedure that was unfolding. Our surroundings tried to be there for us even though they too were heard by the gendarmes.

Our little girl fought like a champion! She impressed us every day with her progress, allowing us to hold on by clinging to the positivity she transmitted to us.

In the Judicial Machine

Since I was not present during the accident, my spouse was the only one implicated in the procedure. He was placed under arrest three weeks after the accident. Temporary placement was requested. Our daughter having been discharged from the hospital but needing an operation a few weeks later, the prosecutor refused to let her leave the hospital setting. We obtained permission to make daily visits to the hospital with a third person from our surroundings present, a real miracle.

The hearing took place three weeks later. Thanks to our lawyers and the favorable recommendations of child welfare services (ASE), the placement was definitively lifted. Our daughter underwent surgery two days after and could return home ten days later.

The procedure is not over; we are still waiting for a counter-expertise.

Living with Suspicion

My spouse, our daughter, and I are closer than ever. My spouse needed support because he blamed himself. I never doubted him. Accidents happen quickly and unfortunately the psychological consequences are significant. Guilt is present despite the fact that this fall could have happened to anyone… We are both in post-traumatic shock and are being followed by doctors for it. Each tries to support the other as much as possible. Fear is present every day; we do our best to regain confidence. Our daughter is “well” but we anticipate each situation to avoid any other accident.

As managers, we have managed to organize our work so that one of us is always present with our daughter every day. We drove five hours daily for a month in order to be with her during the day.

We are angry about this procedure when our daughter’s doctors tell us that the impact of her fall is clearly visible on the imaging. We are also angry when these same doctors explain that the symptoms of shaken baby syndrome do not match hers. We understand that there are procedures in place to protect children who need it, and we understand why reports are made. However, we don’t understand why specialists aren’t consulted during these procedures.

When I read other testimonies, I have a lot of compassion for all these families affected, and I see our story as miraculous because we have our daughter with us today. This does not diminish the traumatic events we have experienced so far. I can’t help but imagine the pain of families who had their children wrongly placed in care for long periods.

For consistency across testimonies, this text may have been slightly edited or translated by artificial intelligence. If you notice any error or inconsistency, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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