Eli Hentges. This is one of the 88 stories of children dying at the hands of their caregivers reported in the recent Safe Passage For Children investigation of child death in Minnesota. The report suggests why this tragedy is happening in our state and how we can make life safer for at risk children (in the read more at the end of the article). Please share this with your contacts and State Representative.
Read pages 19-32 of the Investigative Report (in the link above) for more information
Eli Arispe Hentges,
Isanti County
Two-month-old Eli died by blunt force trauma while in the care of his mother in April 2017. The infant’s autopsy revealed two skull fractures, as well as healing rib fractures and multiple bruises on the infant’s head. The mother admitted to throwing the infant against the wall out of frustration, resulting in the fatal injury.
Medical records obtained during the investigation revealed that during a well-baby check on March 30, 2017, the doctor noticed a rash on Eli’s arms, chest, head, and upper back. In addition, there were two darker bruise marks on Eli’s left arm.
The mother informed the doctor that they were from puppies running around that may have stepped on Eli’s arm, which is not a credible explanation. This well-baby check occurred just six days before Eli was killed.
Using the protocol in Appendix C, the medical SME’s who reviewed this case indicated that the provider who saw Eli should have:
• Performed a full body medical exam including radiological imaging.
• Made calls to child protection and local law enforcement while the parent was still at the
provider’s facility, to determine if transportation to another facility or an emergency hold were appropriate.
• Observed and documented parent’s behavior including her interaction with the child, her
reaction to the child’s injury and to having her version of the injury challenged.
• Not discharge of the victim to the suspected abuser unless directed to do so by child
protection and law enforcement officials.
The subsequent county fatality review reported that there was no public record of child protection involvement. However, at the time of Eli’s birth, both parents were homeless and the mother had been discharged from the hospital to live with her former foster mother. During the investigation, it was learned that both parents were using alcohol and drugs, and text messages revealed patterns of domestic violence between them.
Additionally, the criminal complaint states that the infant rolled out of bed during his first month of life, apparently at the home of the foster mother. Infants cannot roll over at that age, thus this explanation also is not credible. If the former foster mother suspected abuse or neglect by the mother, she had the necessary knowledge and experience to report it to child protection.
In summary, the lack of prior child protection history did not mean that nothing could have been
done to prevent Eli’s death. The medical provider and former foster mother had information sufficient to make a report to child protection but failed to do so.
SME Comments:
“If the child’s fall was over a meter in height and especially if it was onto a hard surface, it would merit a medical evaluation…. Eli remained in the (foster) home after the head injury and the bruised forearm were identified without any reports to child protection for further evaluation or follow up to initiate safety checks.
Further evaluation and referral to child protection and law enforcement at the 6-week medical visit could possibly have saved the child’s life.” – Medical SME
“Medical staff should be aware that infants who are not independently mobile rarely sustain any bruises… Acceptance of an unlikely explanation for infant bruising without further consultation with a child abuse expert is not acceptable medical care.” Medical SME
“Hospital protocols for assessing newborn risk prior to birth discharge may need updating and review. Access by hospital staff to the juvenile records for high-risk mothers should be considered. Young mothers who have experienced difficult childhoods and/or teen years deserve special care and concern for the stressors that new motherhood will bring.
Offering and encouraging acceptance of programming to support the new family is societally important for raising happy, healthy, and well adjusted children. Eli and his mother would have benefitted from this assistance.” –
Medical SME
Red Flags Missed or Ignored by Medical Providers
Appendix C includes a protocol provided by our medical SMEs for providers to follow when children present with injuries.
There were just four cases in our sample such as that of Kamari Gholston where court records specifically documented that medical providers missed indicators of abuse or failed to follow up properly with child protection.
However there were other cases where abuse occurred over a long period of time, raising a question of whether providers may have missed or ignored abuse during routine exams. Sophia O’Neill and Tayvion Davis are examples of this along with other stories not written up in this report. The story of Eli Arispe Hentges further illustrates this issue
KSTP short video on Safe Passage Report
ALL ADULTS ARE THE PROTECTORS OF ALL CHILDREN
KARA Public Service Announcement (30 seconds)
KARA Signature Video (4 minute)
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#Eli Hentges