Emeline (Baby aged 2 months, France)

Introduction

My husband is now 40 years old and I am 36 (36 and 32 at the time of events). He is an engineer specializing in water treatment, and I am an environmental reference for an industrial group. Our family includes our eldest son, who received a shaken baby syndrome (SBS) diagnosis, and soon his little brother, who will be born at the end of October. They will have a four-year age gap.

We have lived in Vendée since 2018, but we are originally from Brittany where our respective families are located.

Pregnancy and Birth

The birth went well, even though the expulsion phase was long (59 minutes), which required several manipulations of the baby’s head as he was stuck in the pelvis. His morphological characteristics were normal at birth. We were happy to welcome our newborn and took time to adapt to his rhythm, between meals, care, and sleep. He had gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) that did not concern the pediatrician since he did not cry during the reflux.

The first few weeks went well, with our son developing normally. However, he showed stiffness in the neck, keeping him in a constant position, especially during sleep. A beginning of plagiocephaly was noted from the first month.

The Day Everything Changed

During a nighttime feeding given by my husband when our son was two months old, around 2 AM, he had a seizure and turned completely pale with no muscle tone. We immediately called the firefighters who intervened in less than ten minutes. The dispatcher gave us instructions to help our son regain consciousness. The firefighters then called the Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation Service (SMUR) to check his overall condition, which was reassuring. They advised us to go to the emergency room to identify the cause of the seizure, which we willingly accepted.

When the Diagnosis Fell

Upon arrival at the emergency room, doctors performed several tests: blood work, a scan, a full-body X-ray, and a search for retinal hemorrhages. Around 10 AM, during the medical shift change, I was alone with my son in an examination room when the attending pediatrician informed me that we would go through difficult times. At this point, we had not yet received the test results.

In the morning, we were informed of a subdural hematoma from the scan performed around 6 AM. This triggered a full-body X-ray and a search for retinal hemorrhages. When the tests began, we understood that there was an issue and that suspicion was cast on us regarding something unrelated to his condition.

At 12:30 PM, we were transferred to the pediatric ward without explanation. At 3 PM, the pediatrician informed us that a report had been made to the public prosecutor due to the presence of a subdural hematoma and two fracture lines at the skull level. Authorities also took photos of our son’s body showing bruises on his neck.

We understood that the situation was serious but were confident in our innocence. However, we felt a change in perception from the medical teams. We negotiated to stay with our son overnight despite hospital regulations. The night nursing team agreed on condition that everything be put away by morning. Despite this, we received a severe remark from the pediatrician who had announced the report.

We were then informed that our son needed to be transferred to a neuropediatric and neurosurgical ward to determine if surgery was necessary. The transfer took place in the late afternoon after another visit to the pediatric emergency room.

We spent the night with our son, the team being rather cold but correct. On the third day, we met the neuropediatrician who explained that overall he was doing well, but they had to wait for an MRI to assess the extent of the bleeding and the need for surgery. Due to Christmas holidays and lack of staff, the MRI could not be done until a week later.

During this consultation, I received a call from the gendarmerie asking me to call them back for questioning the next morning. I indicated that it was impossible as we were with our son 1.5 hours away by road and did not want to leave him alone in the hospital. The tension mounted; they asked me to call back later.

After hanging up, the hospital staff informed us that people from their department wanted to see us. We understood that they were going to take our son away from us. Child protective services came to present a temporary placement order and told us we could say goodbye before leaving. We were entitled to two one-hour visits per week, except when hospital personnel was unavailable. The hospital explained that they already lacked staff, especially during this period, and did not have the necessary manpower to ensure such visits as it was not their main mission. During the first week, we managed only one of the two scheduled visits.

In less than 72 hours, we went from being extremely worried about our son’s health to intense stress due to suspicions against us, then confident because we had done nothing wrong, and finally to a high level of distress when we were separated from our son.

No differential diagnosis was made during our son’s hospitalization. After some research, we suspected Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which was not confirmed. However, during the neurological follow-up of our son, the pediatric neurologist mentioned external hydrocephalus.

In the Judicial Machine

Family Matters

Our son was placed under a temporary placement order for 15 days, then this measure was extended to six months after the first hearing. We had two mediated one-hour visits per week and an educational investigation measure was put in place. We appealed this decision.

During the appeal, we had a judge who took the time to listen to us. After 15 days of deliberation, the placement order was lifted immediately. We got our son back after three and a half months of placement.

Criminal Case

We were interviewed by the gendarmerie in a free hearing the day after the start of the placement, a process that lasted five hours. Our parents, my brother, and my best friend were also questioned. During this interview, the gendarme informed us that the forensic doctor concluded to probable (but not certain) shaken baby syndrome and requested a re-examination of the images.

A home visit by the gendarmerie was also conducted after our hearing. Since December 2021, we have had no news. We do not know if something will be triggered at some point or not.

Placement

Our son was immediately placed in a foster family, the same one throughout the duration of the placement. We quickly set up a WhatsApp group with the foster family to get regular updates. The social workers we saw during the first 15 days of placement sometimes had inappropriate and harsh remarks about what is right or wrong (for example, regarding formula milk versus breastfeeding). Once the six-month placement was ordered, we were able to have one dedicated social worker who took the time to get to know us. However, the psychologist in charge of the case made guilt-inducing comments about our child’s development (for example: not being able to put his foot flat at three months), even though this was not within her purview. We also had some conflicts with the pediatrician from PMI who did not want to give us any information about our son’s health.

We later learned that additional medical exams (X-rays) were conducted without informing us.

Living Under Suspicion

This ordeal had a significant impact on our emotional state. Both of us had to undergo therapy and took anxiolytics for several weeks. Fortunately, we remained united in our relationship with no suspicion between us. Our family and friends also supported us through this trial. We spontaneously informed our closest friends to avoid questions and haphazard answers.

Financially, the lawyer’s fees amounted to nearly €10,000. To recall, only the family matters aspect has been addressed so far, and we were fortunate enough to be able to quickly recover our son.

Today, our son has a strong affection for his father but tends to reject me. I wonder if this separation caused a rift in the bond between us. Anger is still present today. It is difficult to have to go through the hospital, especially the pediatric emergency room. In preparing for the birth of our future child, painful memories of this event resurface and questions arise: can this happen again? Will we have to relive this experience?

The worry remains as well. Will any changes ever come? Where is this all going to lead us? Soon, our son has a medical check-up for his entry into the middle section, conducted by the PMI. What will be the nurse’s view on our son’s file?

The fatigue of having to constantly repeat the story to various healthcare professionals because we never know if it had an impact on his development and could explain certain conditions. The feeling of not being able to shed this burden of guilt that we shouldn’t have to carry, but which the medical community seems to place upon us as soon as we dare to speak about it.

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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