Tegretol - child abuse case

July 23, 2002, 11:13

I'm handling a multi-victim muti-defendant child abuse with 3 live victims and 1 dead victim (all 8 years of age at the time). The deceased victim was severely bruised (over the entire circumference of the upper legs, the genitalia, buttocks and lower back) and malnourished. The pathologist ruled battered child syndrome as the cause of death but also found elevated levels of a drug called Tegretol in his body. The live victims were also severely abused. The defendants are the adoptive parents and their 18 year old natural child. The adoptive mother says she gave the deceased child more than one dose of Tegretol, a prescription drug prescribed for his seizures, within a short period of time because he was allegedly having a seizure (shortly before he died). The defense is apparently getting an "expert" pathologist to testify that the bruising was attributable to the Tegretol..... Has anyone run across this?????? All of these children have varying degrees of mental retardation and cerebral palsy so their testimony is going to be extremely limited.

July 24, 2002, 09:59

DPB

Mike, who is the expert?

July 24, 2002, 16:07

I don't have an id on the expert yet but they have received funds from the court to get one and I'm sure they can find one under a rock somewhere.... I'll post the expert's name when I learn of it..... Thanks.

July 29, 2002, 10:00

jws

Contact Nancy Kellogg, M.D. at Alamo Children's Advocacy Center in San Antonio. I used her on my child starvation case last year and she's a wonderful witness, as well as a very well-informed pediatrician. She's become somewhat of an expert in starvation cases, and since that is an aspect of your case, she'd be a great person to start talking to about your case. E-mail me or call me and I'll give you more info on her.

July 30, 2002, 15:50

Lucky G

Mike,

My wife has a seizure condition and she was on Tegretol for several years. I don't recall any unnatural bruising being a side effect ever. A good person to contact regarding Tegretol side effects would be a respected Neurologist.