NEED TO KNOW
Connor Dean died in August 2024 following a cardiac arrest after having scurvy, also known as a severe vitamin C deficiency
His pediatrician reported that his diet consisted of “lots of white bread, some beef sausage, custard and chocolate”
Scurvy, which is considered rare today, was common among 19th-century sailors due to limited access to vitamin C-rich foods
Scurvy has been listed as the “most likely underlying factor” in a 6-year-old boy’s death, according to a coroner’s report.
Connor Dean had a cardiac arrest following general anesthetic and died on Aug. 10, 2024, in the Queensland Children’s Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, according to the coroner.
Deputy state coroner Stephanie Gallagher viewed the evidence, which suggested that Connor had a “severe vitamin C deficiency, with associated clinical and radiological features consistent with scurvy.”
Scurvy is a disease caused by a serious vitamin C deficiency, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It states that not eating enough fruits and vegetables is the main cause of the condition.
A doctor (stock image)
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Gallagher said Connor died from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, a type of brain injury that happens when the organ doesn’t get enough blood and oxygen, per the Cleveland Clinic, but added that this was “due to cardiac arrest following general anaesthetic, in the setting of vitamin C deficiency.”
She added that Connor’s Down syndrome was a contributing factor. He weighed just 31 lbs. at the time of his death, per the document.
“Although the precise mechanism leading to the cardiac arrest could not be definitively determined, the treating clinicians and forensic pathologist considered vitamin C deficiency to be the most likely underlying factor,” she added in the document.
Scurvy is considered rare today, but it was common among 19th-century sailors because they often lacked foods high in vitamin C during long voyages, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The disease was so common that shipowners and governments assumed that half the crew would die when embarking on any major trip, according to the Science History Institute.
Early symptoms include fatigue and joint pain, but if left untreated, it may develop into anemia, swollen and bleeding gums, easily bruised skin, swollen legs, dry and brittle hair, rough and scaly skin, loosened teeth that may fall out and bleeding under the skin, per the Cleveland Clinic.
A doctor looking at notes (stock image)
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Connor’s parents said that he had become a very fussy eater at around 4 ½ to 5 years old. The document said they had spoken to a dietitian, gave Connor a vitamin A injection, and a multivitamin and iron [supplement] each day. They then changed his multivitamin to another product.
Per the report, Connor’s parents claimed to be unaware of his vitamin C deficiency until after his death.
Connor’s pediatrician reported that his diet consisted of “lots of white bread, some beef sausage, custard and chocolate,” in the document.
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“He was being offered vegetables at day care, but I don’t believe he was eating them,” they said. “He was drinking apple and blackcurrant 100% juice poppers which would contain Vitamin C.”
They also said Connor was taking a multivitamin that contained vitamins A, D, B12 and iron, but that it also had small amounts of other vitamins including vitamin C.
Upon reviewing the multivitamin Connor was taking before his death, the pediatrician noted that it did not contain any vitamin C, vitamin K or vitamin E, and provided only half of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A.
The unnamed manufacturer of the multivitamin, which was provided to Connor by his parents, said it extended its “sincere condolences to Connor’s family,” adding that it takes the safety and wellbeing of its customers “with the utmost seriousness.”
The company rejected the pediatrician’s claims that the product was misleading and claimed that “multivitamin products do not generally contain all essential vitamins and nor are they indicated for treatment of a severe deficiency; they are indicated to help supplement when dietary intake is inadequate.”
In the U.S., 7.1% of people may develop a vitamin C deficiency, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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