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Forgive this OT posting to the list, but there were so many of you who expressed concern about our grandson that I couldn't possibly respond individually and many asked to be kept up-to-date. The problem is still unresolved. The now six-week-old baby is in Children's Hospital in Philadelphia with multiple fractures and a leading child abuse expert claiming that they are the result of abuse. We know absolutely that he was not abused so we are desperately trying to get someone to look at his case more objectively, we think he must have brittle bone disease. He is now out of my son's and daughter-in-law's custody and they are facing criminal charges because supposedly some of the fractures could have been life-threatening. They are able to visit him in the hospital but only under supervision and one of the doctors has been very difficult in confronting my daughter-in-law when she was there alone and trying to break her down so she would implicate my son. The baby lacks many of the classic symptoms of child abuse and shaken baby syndrome such as multiple bruises, subdural hematoma, broken blood vessels in the retina, skull fractures, and internal injuries. He has ONLY broken bones. He did have some bruises when taken in but we know how all but one happened, and children with OI (brittle bone disease or osteogenesis imperfecta) are known to bruise easily. Also, the bruises were not in the same locations as the breaks and there was no swelling around the breaks. It seems so obvious that it could not be abuse, but we are fighting a mindset. We have been praying desperately that someone would take an objective look at ALL the facts. We have found out that this has happened to dozens and maybe hundreds of families whose children have OI before it is diagnosed. Child abuse is always the first thing suspected, the child is put in immediate protective custody and is often returned to his parents only after subsequent bone breaks while in foster care, sometimes years later. There are some tests for OI, but the most reliable is only 80% accurate and takes 3 months to get the results. We were told this test had been done, then found out it had not and as of last night it still has not been done, we don't know why. We do have a good (and, of course, expensive) lawyer. He will put up an excellent defense and we are working on finding unbiased experts in OI to review the case. In the meantime we are all losing weight, sleep, and years off our lives. I've actually started noticing my hair falling out - it's amazing what stress does to the body. The legal process may take months. The baby will be released to foster care as soon as he is considered well enough. My husband and I have requested custody but it will take an unspecified amount of time to approve our home as a foster home, IF they decide to approve us (Child Protective Services thinks grandparents are too sympathetic to parents and won't follow visitation/supervision rules) so he will go to a stranger first. It is an unspeakable grief, compounded by knowing that the care-giver is likely to inflict injuries unknowingly just as his parents did. It's just a nightmare. I appreciate your concerns, thank you all for caring so much. We have literally felt your prayers and do believe that God is working in the situation. It's just so hard to have patience. We appreciate your continued support. If anyone knows of a nationally known expert in osteogenesis imperfect, I would very much appreciate the information. Peg Merkley Reading Specialist/LMS Graduate Student NHUF Elementary School Frederick, PA _magiemae5@aol.com_ (mailto:magiemae5@aol.com) -------------------------------------------------------------------- All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/ EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/ LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html --------------------------------------------------------------------