Six-year-old boy died from scurvy despite long term concerns over diet, Queensland coroner finds
Summary
A six-year-old boy named Connor Dean died from scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C, at a hospital in Queensland in 2024. Despite long-term concerns about his poor diet and low vitamin intake, his severe vitamin C deficiency was not detected or treated in time.Key Facts
- Connor Dean, aged six, had Down syndrome and a repaired heart defect.
- He died after cardiac arrest while under general anesthesia at Queensland children’s hospital.
- A coroner found his death was most likely due to brain damage caused by scurvy (vitamin C deficiency).
- Connor had very low vitamin C levels, plus low vitamins A, E, and possibly K and D.
- His diet included no fruit or vegetables, and he had poor weight and growth for his age.
- The multivitamin he took did not contain vitamin C, which was a concern raised by his doctors.
- The multivitamin company denied their product contributed to his death.
- The coroner said there was not enough proof the multivitamin caused or helped cause the death, focusing instead on the failure to diagnose the vitamin C deficiency earlier.
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