Father kills 3-year-old son by perforating his bowel

A 32-year-old father was just convicted of negligent homicide, child abuse and aggravated child neglect in the death of his 3-year-old son, who died of a perforated bowel. Authorities believe the perforated bowel resulted from blunt force trauma to his abdomen.

A perforated bowel occurs when an opening forms in the wall of the stomach, small intestines, or large intestine. This condition can be caused by Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, and traumatic injury like a surgeon nicking a patient’s bowel during surgery. A person who suffers from a perforated bowel must undergo surgery as soon as possible to repair and clean the opening, otherwise serious complications such as inflammation, blood infection, or death may occur.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition – meaning it’s persisted three months or longer – in which inflammation occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s disease sufferers often experience intestinal blockage, which prevents the bowel from pushing out waste. This overloads the intestines and eventually causes a perforation. Patients with this disease may experience persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and sometimes rectal bleeding. The disease is a lifelong condition that requires frequent treatment and monitoring.

Diverticulitis, on the other hand, is an inflammation of small colon pouches that can cause infection. Unlike Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis can be treated with antibiotics. Sometimes a patient may require surgery to clean the infected pouches. Failure to seek proper treatment can cause colon blockage and lead to a perforated bowel.

Sadly, in the case of the three-year-old boy mentioned above, blunt force trauma is defined as any injury caused by blows from blunt objects or an unarmed assailant. You may recall the case of the bouncer who perforated a man’s bowel when ejecting him from a bar.

If you’ve suffered a perforated bowel at the hands of someone else – even a surgeon – we suggest you contact an experienced trial attorney to review the facts of your case.

To read more about perforated bowels, please read: http://cleveland.injuryboard.com/medical-malpractice/what-is-a-perforated-bowel-and-do-i-have-a-claim.aspx?googleid=300018