Pediatrician Testifies in Trial of Caretaker Accused of Infant’s Death
Baby’s Skull Fracture Raises questions in Jeffersonville Caretaker Trial
Jeffersonville, IN – The trial of Brittany Baylor, a Jeffersonville caretaker accused of killing a child under her care, took a dramatic turn Friday as a child abuse pediatrician presented her findings. Baylor faces charges of aggravated battery resulting in death and neglect of a dependent stemming from the July 2022 death of an infant.
Dr. Melissa Currie, a pediatrician specializing in child abuse at Norton Children’s Hospital, testified about her forensic report, which detailed the infant’s injuries. Currie explained that the report’s delay was due to prioritizing cases involving living children.
The jury was shown graphic photos from the infant’s autopsy,revealing a “high energy” skull fracture at the top of the head. Currie emphasized that this type of injury is consistent with a forceful impact, comparing it to injuries sustained in a high-speed car crash.
“He clearly had a blunt impact to his head,” Currie stated, adding that the injury was not consistent with a simple fall.
The prosecution’s case hinges on the discrepancy between the infant’s injuries and the account provided by Officer Jaylan Kavanaugh,who responded to the initial call of a choking baby. Body camera footage, shown to the jury on Wednesday, captured Kavanaugh attempting back pats on the infant before accidentally dropping him on the floor.
During cross-examination,Kavanaugh admitted he did not inform medical personnel about the drop.
Currie analyzed the body camera footage and concluded that the infant’s head struck the back of his skull upon impact with the floor, while the fracture was located on the top of his head.
“Not even close,” she said when asked if the injury on the top of the baby’s head would be consistent with what she saw in Kavanaugh’s body camera footage.
Currie further testified that the infant’s initial symptoms, including difficulty breathing and unconsciousness, were more indicative of a concussion caused by a severe head injury rather than an underlying health issue. She also stated that the back blows administered by Kavanaugh would not have caused the skull fracture and that X-rays and CT scans showed no signs of pneumonia.
The trial is expected to continue into next week, with a tentative conclusion date of December 20th.
Baby’s Skull Fracture Casts Doubt on Caretaker’s Account in Jeffersonville Trial
Jeffersonville, IN – The trial of Brittany Baylor, a Jeffersonville caretaker accused of killing an infant in her care, took a dramatic turn Friday as Dr. Melissa Currie, a child abuse pediatrician from Norton Children’s Hospital, presented her findings.
baylor faces charges of aggravated battery resulting in death and neglect of a dependent stemming from the July 2022 death of the infant.
Dr. Currie’s testimony focused on her forensic report detailing the infant’s injuries. the report, delayed due to prioritizing cases involving living children, revealed a ”high-energy” skull fracture at the top of the infant’s head. Dr. currie emphasized that this type of injury is consistent with a forceful impact, comparing it to injuries sustained in a high-speed car crash.
“He clearly had a blunt impact to his head,” Dr. Currie stated,adding that the injury was not consistent with a simple fall.
The prosecution’s case hinges on the discrepancy between the infant’s injuries and the account given by Officer jaylan Kavanaugh, who responded to the initial call of a choking baby. Body camera footage, shown to the jury on Wednesday, captured Kavanaugh attempting back pats on the infant before accidentally dropping him on the floor.
During cross-examination, Officer Kavanaugh admitted he did not inform medical personnel about the drop.
Dr. Currie analyzed the body camera footage and concluded that the infant’s head struck the back of his skull upon impact with the floor, while the fracture was located on the top of his head.
“Not even close,” she said when asked if the injury on the top of the baby’s head would be consistent with what she saw in Officer Kavanaugh’s body camera footage.
Dr. currie further testified that the infant’s initial symptoms, including difficulty breathing and unconsciousness, were more indicative of a concussion caused by a severe head injury rather than an underlying health issue. she also stated that the back blows administered by Officer Kavanaugh would not have caused the skull fracture and that X-rays and CT scans showed no signs of pneumonia.
The trial is expected to continue into next week,with a tentative conclusion date of December 20th.