Mum Joanne Sharkey admits killing baby found in woodland – BBC.com
A mum has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her child, who was found in a woodland close to a theme park more than a quarter of a century ago.
Joanne Sharkey, 55, of Liverpool, denied murdering her baby boy, whose remains were discovered with wads of tissue in his throat close to the Gulliver's World theme park in Warrington, Cheshire, on 14 March 1998.
As well as pleading guilty to manslaughter through diminished responsibility at Liverpool Crown Court, she also entered a guilty plea to endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child.
Sharkey is due to be sentenced on 21 March.
The infant who was believed to be born at full term was found discarded in two black bin bags by a local dog walker, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
At the time, the identity of the boy's parents was not known but they were identified after an investigation by the police that spanned over two decades.
Both the mother and father of the baby were arrested on 28 July 2023 on suspicion of murder, the CPS said.
After a thorough investigation by Cheshire Police, the father was released without facing any charges.
The force said he was unaware of the pregnancy, the birth, or his subsequent death.
Sharkey was charged on 15 April 2024 with murder and endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child.
Police said it was determined she had concealed her pregnancy, given birth at her home and caused the death of the baby in the following hours. The baby was found to have wads of tissue in his mouth and throat, the force added.
Sharkey, of Denham Close in West Derby, was due to face trial accused of murdering her baby between 8 and 12 March 1998, but her guilty plea to manslaughter by diminished responsibility was accepted by the prosecution.
Prosecution barrister Jonas Hankin KC said all the elements of a diminished responsibility plea were supported by psychiatrists, the police, the CPS and counsel on both sides.
Judge Mrs Justice Eady said: "I have read and reviewed the medical evidence in light of the test required for a defence of diminished responsibility and what is clear is that, given the unequivocal acceptance of the medical evidence, there could be no identifiable reason for a jury to reject that evidence so I approve the course you have outlined."
Detectives named the infant Callum after the Callands district of Warrington where his remains were found, because his true identity could not be confirmed at the time.
Det Insp Hannah Friend said the case shocked the local community.
She said: "Despite his life being cruelly cut short, he has not been forgotten, and his memory has lived on in the local area for the past few decades.
"Likewise, our efforts to locate who did this to him have not wavered and the case was subject to regular reviews and refreshed searches of the police DNA database."
She added it was thanks to a familial DNA sample that Sharkey was identified, arrested and later charged in relation to baby Callum's death.
Adam Till of the CPS said it had been a "complex case about a baby whose life was unfairly cut short".
"He would have been an adult today and it's devastating to think of the life he could have had," he said.
He added while the outcome of the case will never bring him back, "we hope it brings a small measure of comfort to everyone who has been affected by this awful case".
A few months after the baby was found, local people arranged a burial and a funeral service was held.
He was buried in a small white coffin.
The headstone, which was paid for with money raised by local residents, was inscribed: "Baby Callum, precious child of God. Laid to rest July 27, 1998. With love, from the people of Warrington."
Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
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Protecting Your Baby From a Measles Outbreak: FAQs – HealthyChildren.org
By: Sean T. O’Leary, MD, MPH, FAAP
Measles is wildly contagious. Nearly 1 out of every 3 children under the age of 5 who catches measles ends up in the hospital.
Are some young children at a greater risk from the measles virus during an outbreak? What, if anything, can parents do to protect their little ones?
Here are some answers from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The recommended age for the first dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 12 to 15 months of age.
If you live in a community experiencing an outbreak, or if you travel internationally, your baby may be vaccinated as early as 6 months of age. Talk with your pediatrician if this applies to you. (See International travel tips for families with young children below.)
Babies who get one dose of MMR vaccine before their first birthday should get two more doses (one dose at 12 through 15 months of age and another dose at least 28 days later).
If there is not measles circulating in your community, thanks to vaccines, the risk to your baby is low. Good hand hygiene is always a good idea. So, just as you would to prevent germs at any time, wash your hands using soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Remind others in your home or anyone who is near your baby to do the same.
Limit your baby’s exposure to crowds, other children, and anyone with a cold.
Prevent germs at home. Disinfect objects and surfaces in your home regularly.
Feed your baby breastmilk. It has unique antibodies to prevent and fight infections.
That depends on if measles is circulating and the level of community immunity to measles. At most risk for severe disease are: unvaccinated people, especially children under age 5 years; people who have weakened immune systems; and anyone who is pregnant or severely malnourished.
Infants and children can be contagious four days before they even show any symptoms!
Measles typically starts like a bad cold with symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis (pink eye). A rash then starts to develop on the head and spreads down to the rest of the body. Many children also get ear infections.
While the main symptoms of measles are bad enough, the reason we vaccinate against measles is to prevent the complications associated with it―such as pneumonia and encephalitis (an infection of the brain).
Not good. Measles can cause serious health complications, especially in young children. In the United States, 1-2 out of every 1,000 children who get measles die from it. A similar number of children will have infection of the brain and many go on to have long-term brain damage. The disease is even more severe in developing countries, where as many as 1 out of 3 children who get measles die from it.
The MMR vaccine is a live vaccine, which means it contains weakened forms of the viruses. In order to work, those weakened forms of the virus need to multiply to create an immune response.
Since the natural protection newborns get in the womb wears off gradually over a period of months, the viruses may not be able to multiply the way they would when the baby is a little older. That’s why we recommend the first dose of MMR vaccine starting at 12 months of age. Not because it’s dangerous, but because that’s the age at which the vaccine works best.
Most people of child-bearing age have been vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella―and so are protected against these diseases.
If a pregnant person was not previously vaccinated against measles, they cannot receive the MMR vaccine until after delivery. This is because the MMR vaccine is prepared with weakened live viruses (in contrast to many vaccines that are prepared with killed viruses). Doctors usually advise people to avoid getting pregnant for at least one month after receiving the vaccine to reduce the risk of becoming infected.
If a non-immune pregnant person is exposed to measles, it may cause health problems to them and their unborn baby. In a CDC study, the most common effect to pregnant people was pneumonia, and the most common fetal/neonatal effect was premature delivery. If the pregnant person is exposed within 10 days of delivery, it likely will cause a serious infection in their newborn.
Anyone born before 1957 is generally considered immune to measles. This means they are fully protected from measles for life and no additional vaccination is necessary.
The CDC also considers people who received two doses of measles vaccine as children protected for life. They do not ever need a booster dose.
If you’re unsure whether you’re immune to measles, you should first try to find your vaccination records or documentation of measles immunity. If you do not have a record of measles immunity, you should get the MMR vaccine. There is no harm in getting another dose of MMR vaccine if you may already be immune to measles (or mumps or rubella).
All About the Recommended Immunization Schedules
Can vitamin A prevent or cure measles?
How to Protect Your Child During a Measles Outbreak
Sean T. O’Leary, MD, MPH,FAAP, is a pediatric infectious diseases expert at the University of Colorado. He is the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases.
Medical breakthrough: Unborn baby treated for genetic condition – Aleteia
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A recent case study in The New England Journal of Medicine describes a medical breakthrough in which a group of US doctors treated an unborn baby with a rare genetic condition while still in utero. The unborn child had tested positive for type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rapidly progressing disease that severely weakens the muscles, making it impossible to move or breathe. Children with this condition have historically died by their second birthday.
The pregnant woman in the case study had lost her first child to the terrible disease and was willing to work with doctors in an experiment in which she received the drug Risdiplam every day for six weeks before giving birth.
Risdiplam works by increasing the concentration of a crucial protein called survival motor neuron (SMN) protein in order to prevent the break down of nerve cells in the brain and body; such proteins are lacking in those with the genetic mutations that cause SMA. The drug had previously only been approved by the FDA to treat infants ages 2 months and older. The FDA made a special, one-time exception for this case study.
During the six weeks that the expectant mother took the medication, testing found that the medicine passed through her umbilical cord and into the amniotic fluid surrounding her baby.
After birth, the infant continued to receive the oral medication daily, and the regimen has proven successful thus far. Pediatric neurologist Michelle Farrar, a high-profile SMA researcher in Australia, told Smriti Mallapaty at Nature that the baby girl “has been effectively treated, with no manifestations of the condition” even 30 months after birth.
Aleteia reached out to Kelly Mantoan, the Catholic author of Better Than OK: Finding Joy as a Special-Needs Parent. Mantoan is a mother of five; two of her children have SMA and they take Risdiplam, which has slowed the progression of their disease. She is also the founder of Accepting the Gift, a Ministry for Catholic Special Needs Parents.
Here’s what she had to say about this amazing medical breakthrough:
“When my sons were diagnosed with SMA, there were no FDA approved treatments. But today there are three, including Risdiplam. SMA is no longer presented to parents as a death sentence but a condition that can be treated, saving the lives of countless unborn children with SMA and improving the quality of life for children and adults with the condition. It feels like the miracle mothers like myself prayed for for years.”
To read more about this remarkable medical achievement, check out The New England Journal of Medicine.
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What Parents Should Consider When Choosing Swim Lessons for Kids – Baby Chick
One mom shares how she found the right swim coach for her daughter and explains what to look for when choosing swimming lessons for your child.
by Jessica Tzikas
We all know that swim lessons are vital for children’s safety. The countless stories of tragedies occurring during fun summer days at the pool or on the lake are heartbreaking. But most often, they are preventable.1 As a Florida mom, swim lessons are even more important because my kids are swimming in pools or the ocean all year round. I figured that getting swimming lessons would be easy, and within a few weeks, my little one would be swimming like a fish. Unfortunately, this was not our story — but not for lack of trying. Here, I’ll share my experience with finding the right swimming lessons for my daughter and offer tips on what to look for when choosing them for your own child.
When my oldest turned 2, I started doing research to get her into swimming lessons. I scoured mom groups and signed her up with a highly recommended swim teacher in the area. Friends of mine raved about this swim company, as well as countless strangers who vouched for their expertise. “My kid was diving into the deep end by the first week!” said one mom. “We used them, and all three of mine are now Olympic swimmers!” Okay, maybe not the last one, but you get the point. So, what could go wrong? I set up our first lesson and sighed a breath of relief, knowing my kid would be swimming safely in no time.
We had our first lesson, and she loved it! Things were great — until lesson two. Suddenly, my daughter was shrieking in the pool and terrified of getting in. It was disheartening to watch my water-loving little girl become so scared of the pool. But with the high accolades, I kept going. That is, until my daughter got so worked up that she puked all over the pool. This was my final straw and a hard realization that maybe this wasn’t the right choice for her.
Fast forward a year and three more failed swim teachers later, and finally, we found our match. Coach Chris was recommended to me by just one friend, not an entire mom group. But it was immediately clear that he was the right choice. After one lesson, my daughter never cried in the pool again. In fact, she begged to go to swim lessons and see Coach Chris. Now, after almost a year with him, she’s swimming laps and learning strokes with dreams of being on the swim team when she’s older.
All this to say — choosing the right swim teacher and swim lesson format isn’t as easy as logging into your local Facebook mom group. It may take some trial and error to find a teacher who fits. But to avoid my struggle, there are some things you may want to consider before choosing a swim teacher for your child.
Did you know there are different types of swim lessons you can choose from? There’s ISR (Infant Swimming Resource Lessons), which is for young children and made to teach your baby how to survive in the water. This is a type of lesson in which you may see a child learning to jump in fully clothed and roll onto their back. It’s geared toward survival in the pool and is for younger infants and toddlers — specifically children ages 6 months to 6 years old.2,3,5
Then, there are the more traditional swimming lessons, which is what I opted for with my children. While these lessons also focus on safety (especially with younger children), they do this by teaching swimming fundamentals, like breathing techniques and kicks.3 Both types of lessons can be great options, and choosing the right one is often based on personal preference. (However, it’s worth noting that some parents are concerned about the potentially traumatic effects of ISR, though this criticism seems to be based on anecdotal evidence.6)
Whether you choose ISR or traditional lessons, the most important thing is finding the right teacher. All our kids are different, and in the same way that they all learn differently in school, they also learn differently in the pool. Our first swim teacher was a bit rough, which is great for kids who may need some toughness to be safe in the pool. But that toughness made my highly sensitive child wither in fear and had the opposite effect. Our current coach takes a much more gentle approach. He meets my daughter where she’s at and turns swim safety into fun.
To avoid the struggle we went through, consider chatting with potential swim instructors on the phone. You could even ask to attend another child’s lesson or do a trial class. This will give you a better idea of their teaching style and let you see how they run their class. Pay attention to how they speak to your child — are they more stern or laid back? Do they incorporate water toys and kickboards or teach without props? None of these options are right or wrong, but they can influence how your child learns. Some instructors also teach in groups, and some only do one-on-one lessons. Many children thrive having their peers beside them. Others may be too distracted when other kids are in the pool. Knowing how your child learns, and seeing it firsthand, will help you make the right decision.
Beyond personal preferences, there are some things that all parents should be sure of before signing their child up with a specific teacher, coach, or swim school. The biggest, of course, is their safety practices. Some non-negotiable questions to consider are:4
Regardless of the swim teacher you choose, putting your child in swim classes is a major accomplishment in itself. While it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be to find the right teacher, knowing my daughter feels safe and confident in the water is worth all the challenges we went through. Now, I just need someone to teach me the best way to get her out of the pool when it’s time to go home!
We base our content on research from peer-reviewed journals, government and advocacy organizations, and academic sources. Learn more about our standards in our editorial policy.
1. Denny SA, Quan L, Gilchrist J, McCallin T, Shenoi R, Yusuf S, Weiss J, Hoffman B; COUNCIL ON INJURY, VIOLENCE, AND POISON PREVENTION. Prevention of Drowning. Pediatrics. 2021 Aug;148(2):e2021052227. doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-052227. Epub 2021 Jul 12. PMID: 34253571.
2. https://www.stepintoswim.org/
3. https://www.bearpaddle.com/
4. https://www.watersafetyusa.org/
5. https://www.isrswimbabies.com/
6. https://www.sunsationalswimschool.com/
Baby Chick provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The content on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Your use of this site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use.
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