Kidney claim in 'salt baby' case

Marianne Williams denies murdering her son Joshua in 2004

A doctor caring for a baby allegedly poisoned by his mother has told a court the child could have died as a result of his chronic kidney problems.

Joshua Taylor died at Southampton General Hospital in February 2004.

Marianne Williams, 24, from Wiltshire, denies killing her 15-month-old son by giving him a salt overdose.

Winchester Crown Court was told a post mortem examination said the increased salt levels in his blood could have been caused by his failing kidneys.

The trial has heard that Joshua was born 12 weeks premature and had "very small" kidneys.

He spent two-thirds of his life in hospital and received up to 11 different medications daily - including dosages of sodium chloride.

Anti-depressants

On 24 February 2004 he was taken seriously ill into Southampton General Hospital, after being cared for by his mother at home the previous night.

He died three days later from hypernatraemia - high salt levels in his blood which led to severe brain damage.

Michael Topolski QC, defending, read from a post mortem report by the hospital's consultant paediatric pathologist Dr Isabella Moore.

She wrote that the high levels of salt found in Joshua's body "should be interpreted in the light of severe renal abnormalities".

When asked what he thought of the summary of salt levels, consultant paediatric nephrologist Dr Pankaj Deshpande, who was jointly in charge of Joshua's care, said: "Yes, I would agree."

Joshua had medical problems and needed daily medication

Dr Deshpande also admitted to not being aware that the concentration of sodium chloride prescribed to Joshua would be considered illegal in the US.

The prosecution claims Ms Williams, who was on anti-depressants, felt unable to cope with the demands of caring for her sickly baby and murdered him by poisoning him with sodium, mainly in the form of common table salt.

Richard Smith QC, prosecuting, told the trial earlier that Ms Williams knew the danger of giving her son large amounts of salt as she had seen the consequences of too much sodium in his system just days earlier when the child had been rushed to hospital.

The trial was re-started on Tuesday after the previous jury was discharged due to the illness of the spouse of one of its members.

Ms Williams, 24, denies a charge of murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

The trial continues.