Four-year-old boy dies at ICH, kin demand explanation

CHENNAI: A four year old boy with Pierre Robin Syndrome admitted at Institute of Child Health passed away on Saturday. The kin of the patient were unsure of the cause of the death and demanded explanation from the hospital authorities.

Pierre Robin syndrome is a rare congenital birth defect in children, identified with an underdeveloped jaw, an ingrown bone, backward displacement of the tongue and upper airway obstruction.

The boy was admitted with an ingrown bone issue and was being screened by the doctors for the further treatment. He was instructed by the doctors to undergo a scan but the boy passed away suddenly on Saturday.

The hospital authorities said that the boy was being monitored and diagnostic procedures were undertaken. It is possible that he was lying down on the wrong side and that affected the airway, which has most likely impacted his breathing and caused death.

"We did a postmortem to understand the cause of death because it is very unusual and the patient's family also wanted to understand the circumstances under which the child passed away at the hospital. The postmortem report is awaited and we are trying to find out the cause of death, " said Dr S Ezhilarasi, director of Institute of Child Health.