A mother almost had her two-month-old daughter taken off her after being accused of child abuse because of marks on her baby’s neck – which later turned out to be from an allergic reaction to formula milk.
Ashleigh Barden, 20, and her partner Jai Coates, 19, from Bicester, Oxfordshire, were taken to court and almost lost baby Arya in a ‘torturous’ two-month battle with authorities.
The mother, who works in sales, says that a GP reported her after thinking that the marks on Arya’s neck were bruises – plunging the family into a ‘living nightmare’.
Ashleigh Barden, 20, has revealed how she almost lost her daughter Arya (pictured together) because of bruises on her neck which a GP thought were signs of child abuse – but later turned out to be an allergic reaction
Ashleigh says she wasn’t allowed to be left alone with her then two-month-old daughter and Jai was limited to seeing Arya in a contact centre, under social worker supervision.
She was also forced into a ‘mother and baby’ placement and the couple were even taken to court over the suspected bruises.
However, the marks were eventually revealed to have been caused by an allergic reaction to formula milk.
Ashleigh, who works in sales at Bicester Leisure Centre, said: ‘I just can’t put it into words. It was like a living nightmare as to how it made us feel as parents.
‘The whole situation has affected the family drastically. I am now terrified to go to appointments on my own, in fear of being scrutinised and questioned for abuse.’
The family’s nightmare began in April, when a GP at Bicester Health Centre spotted the marks on the baby’s face and neck.
Despite a previous assessment by Arya’s own GP revealing that the marks were not bruising, authorities launched a legal battle to take their daughter away from them.
After a second GP visit, Arya was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, where she was examined under ‘child abuse guidelines’ and had a full skeletal x-ray, CT scans, eye tests and blood tests.
In June, Oxfordshire County Council took the case to court, where a judge granted an Interim Care Order (ICO), meaning Ashleigh was placed under 24/7 supervision.
However, Ashleigh said the case was dropped by social services the day Arya’s doctor confirmed in court that the marks he had seen in April were not bruising.
The parents say, however, that their lives will be forever affected by the allegations made against them.
Ashleigh said: ‘We have received no apology or explanation. Just a simple withdrawal from the court case and the local authority disappear.’
The young mother added that she acknowledges how important it is authorities remain vigilant in spotting child abuse.
However, she now hopes to raise awareness over milk allergies and the symptoms they cause.
She said: ‘We both fully understood their original concerns, as the photos of the marks looked horrendous, and we also understood why there are certain assessments in place to protect children.
‘We would never say that these assessments are not necessary, as there are children out there that do need help in such a way.
‘We believe professionals should look medically first when given a list of symptoms that a baby is having, and not go jumping to the conclusion of child abuse.’
A county council spokesman said: ‘We would very much welcome this mum’s feedback and invite her to get in touch with us, via our comments and complaints procedures.
‘Speaking in general terms – rather than on this or any specific case – it’s the duty of any children’s social care providing council to take seriously and investigate any potential safeguarding issues.’