Blackpool baby's rib injuries not caused by CPR, jury told

Paramedics attended the Blackpool home of baby Edith Langley but she could not be revived

Efforts to revive a baby girl did not cause her "multiplicity" of rib fractures, a court has heard.

Laura Langley, 37, is on trial accused of murdering her daughter Edith by inflicting "terrible injuries".

Seven-week-old Edith is said to have suffered 30 rib fractures between one and four hours before her death.

Ms Langley, from Blackpool, denies murder and child cruelty between 14 and 20 November 2020.

Jurors at Preston Crown Court heard the mother called 999 at 03:54 GMT on 20 November and began CPR after she told the operator Edith was not breathing.

Four minutes later, the court heard, paramedics arrived at Belgrave Road, Marton, and took over chest compressions as the youngster was in cardiac arrest.

The attempts to resuscitate Edith continued in vain as she arrived at Blackpool Victoria Hospital at 04:15 but she was pronounced dead at 04:43.

Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour carried out a post-mortem examination of the infant and gave the cause of death as "compressive chest trauma".

Dr Armour said the time period of CPR in this case was "not an unusually long time".

She said, in her 36 years of experience, rib fractures from CPR are "rare", adding: "If they do occur, they occur at the front of the ribs."

Timothy Cray KC, prosecuting, asked: "What do you say to the suggestion that Edith's recent 30 broken ribs were caused by the 45 minutes or so of CPR that was administered to her?"

'Not consistent'

Dr Armour replied: "My opinion is based on the number of rib fractures, the multiplicity and the position of the rib fractures, these are not consistent with attempts to resuscitate baby Edith Langley.

"CPR is not the cause of the multiplicity of these rib fractures."

Dr Armour said she also identified two sites of internal bruising around the ribs which she said would have happened when Edith's heart was still beating.

She told the court the bruising was caused by bleeding from the fractured ends of the ribs.

The court heard that three older cracked ribs, said to have happened days earlier, were also discovered after the child's death.

The trial continues.

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