Queensland coroner links six-year-old boy's death to scurvy

A coroner has ruled that the death of a six-year-old boy in Queensland, Australia, was most likely triggered by scurvy and severe vitamin C deficiency. Connor Dean died following a cardiac arrest under general anesthetic at Queensland Children’s Hospital in 2024.

Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher released findings stating that while the precise mechanism of the cardiac arrest could not be definitively determined, clinicians and forensic pathologists identified vitamin C deficiency as the most likely underlying factor. Blood tests conducted on the child revealed a vitamin C level of less than one micromole per litre, significantly below the normal range of 20 to 120 micromoles per litre. Skeletal scans also showed bone changes consistent with scurvy.

Scurvy, historically known as ‘sailor’s disease,’ is a condition caused by a lack of vitamin C and was once common among sailors and convicts. In modern medical contexts, it is exceptionally rare. The boy had Down syndrome and a history of a serious heart defect, and had experienced worsening leg pain prior to his hospitalization.