DOCTORS who examined a seven-week-old baby found 17 fractures on his tiny body a court heard yesterday.The injuries, which included two skull fractures, were potentially life threatening and were caused at different times between the child's birth and admission to hospital, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

DOCTORS who examined a seven-week-old baby found 17 fractures on his tiny body a court heard yesterday.

The injuries, which included two skull fractures, were potentially life threatening and were caused at different times between the child's birth and admission to hospital, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

As well as the fractures to his skull the child was found to have seven rib fractures, four fractures to his arms and four more to his legs.

Doctor Christine Hall a consultant paediatric radiologist said that in her opinion all the fractures were a result of non-accidental injury and could not be attributed to heavy handedness or rough play.

She said that a fracture to part of the baby's shoulder blade, was "very unusual" and could have been caused by the child being forcibly lifted out of his cot by his arm.

Other fractures to his arms and legs could have been caused by a "gripping, twisting and pulling" action at the same time.

In her opinion the fractures to the child's ribs were caused by a minimum of three separate inappropriate squeezing of the chest.

She said that although the fractured ribs would not be obvious to the naked eye it would have been apparent to the child's carers that the child was in pain when he was being handled.

Before the court is 21-year-old Tiffany Kellingray of Lagonda Drive, Ipswich who has denied wilfully neglecting the child.

Jonathan Seely, prosecuting, has told the court that 23-year-old Richard Crisp, of the same address had admitted assaulting the child and neglecting it.

Mr Seely told the court that the distress caused to the child by its injuries would have been apparent to the defendants as carers of the child.

The court heard that the boy was admitted to hospital after his mother contacted her GP because he seemed unwell and wasn't feeding properly. The child has since made a good recovery.

After her arrest Kellingray denied causing the child's injuries and said he hadn't cried when she picked him up.

The trial continues.