Girl (3) died due to reduced oxygen to the brain

A three-year-old girl who died in an incident at her home suffered a reduced supply of oxygen to the brain.

Zoe Whitford from Aubrey Grove, Shankill, Co Dublin died on February 13th, 2018.

Emergency services had been called to the child’s family home three days previously on Saturday, February 10th, 2018.

At the opening of an inquest into his daughter’s death at Dublin Coroner’s Court, William Whitford said in his deposition that he formally identified the child’s body following her death at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin.

Garda Padraig Nagle of Cabinteely Garda Station said he met Mr Whitford at the hospital shortly before 4pm on February 13th. The formal identification was conducted at 4.05pm.

A post-mortem examination was conducted jointly by State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy and Pathologist at Crumlin Hospital Dr Maureen O'Sullivan. The cause of death was recorded as cerebral hypoxia. Cerebral hypoxia involves a reduced supply of oxygen to the brain.

Det Insp Martin Creighton of Dun Laoghaire Garda Station sought an adjournment of the inquest for six month to allow for investigations to continue.

“There is a criminal investigation ongoing, the file is at a very advanced stage,” Det Insp Creighton told the coroner.

Adjourning the inquest for further mention to December 12th, 2018, Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane offered her sympathies to the family.

“My condolences to you and the rest of your family on your tragic loss in these circumstances,” Dr Cullinane said.

The child's mother Emer Cannon was charged with assault causing harm to Zoe at a special sitting of Bray District Court the day after the incident at the family home.

At the child’s funeral at St Anne’s Church in Shankill last February, Mr Whitford attributed her death to post-natal depression and asked that the child’s mother be treated with “love and compassion”.