A PAEDIATRICIAN giving evidence at an attempted murder trial has admitted that some of the life-threatening episodes suffered by a baby could have been caused by a natural condition.

Dr Kate Ward had previously told a jury that some of the boy’s acute bouts of illness were consistent with him having ingested powerful adult painkillers codeine and Tramadol.

Yesterday, the child health expert agreed with defence barrister, Eric Elliott, QC, that she could not rule out the cause of the medical emergencies being a relatively minor gastrooesophageal reflux, a digestion problem.

Dr Ward told Mr Elliott and the Teesside Crown Court jury that she could not exclude it, but said of the baby’s varying symptoms: “It would be very rare.”

Mr Elliott also accused the doctor of reaching a conclusion about the boy being drugged and suffocated by his father, and trying to fit the case according to her theory.

At the end of her evidence, Dr Ward said: “I never have a theory. I go through the evidence very carefully, and I believe I have given my reasons for coming to the conclusions I have.”

She told the court that a reflux – which causes vomiting – could not account for all the episodes of illness, and that other evidence pointed to the child being deliberately harmed.

The boy’s father, a 30- year-old from Darlington, is alleged to have poisoned his baby with painkillers and repeatedly obstructed his airway in the first three months of his life.

Four hospitals in the North-East treated the child because he had stopped breathing, gone stiff, been floppy, turned blue and appeared to have a seizure.

His father, who cannot be named, denies administering a poison – codeine – so as to endanger life, child cruelty, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm with intent.

Dr Ward told the jury yesterday that in-depth studies show the majority of children with reflux conditions do not have acute life-threatening episodes.

Mr Elliott suggested that the illnesses between the codeine poisoning in September and Tramadol ingestion in November were reflux or “just a mystery”, but his idea was dismissed.

The trial continues.