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WATERVILLE

February 9

Report released on baby's death

By Amy Calder acalder@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

WATERVILLE -- A baby boy who died last year at Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter died of sudden unexpected death in infancy, according to the state Medical Examiner's Office.

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death: Deaths in infants under 1 year old that occur suddenly and unexpectedly and whose cause of death is not immediately obvious prior to investigation.

Statistics: Annually, more than 4,500 infants in the U.S. die suddenly, of no immediately obvious cause. Half of those deaths are the result of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the leading cause of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and of all deaths among infants up to 12 months old.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is sudden death of an infant less than a year old that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation is conducted, including a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene and review of the clinical history.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Twelve-week-old Trenton Oakes's manner of death was listed as undetermined on the Jan. 4 report, Deputy police Chief Charles Rumsey said Monday.

"Certainly for us, we are closing our investigation," Rumsey said. "We're confident that there's no criminal activity here that we need to be concerned about."

Last year, Waterville police went to the Ticonic Street shelter at 11:26 a.m. May 18 after receiving a report that a 12-week-old baby had stopped breathing. Efforts to revive the infant were unsuccessful.

After the baby's death, the shelter's executive director, Betty Palmer, said every attempt was made by shelter officials, emergency workers, police and hospital workers to revive the infant.

After learning of the cause of death on Monday, Palmer said her thoughts are with the boy's family.

"It's a tragic loss, always," Palmer said. "We always wonder why -- and sometimes there's no answer."

Palmer said more and more babies are coming to live at the shelter with their families. Right now, shelter officials are helping a family with a baby find housing.

"There's been an incredible increase in families with young children and infants, even newborns, from the hospitals," Palmer said.

State police investigate deaths in children ages 3 and younger. Waterville police reported the death to state police, who assumed primary responsibility for the case. Waterville police assisted in the investigation.

Police at the time said the results of tests taken to determine cause of death could take months.

Police had been unsuccessful until Monday in finding the parents to notify them of the report's cause of death, the child's father, David Oakes, said Monday night.

Amy Calder -- 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

 

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