Skip to main content
Rain icon
35º

Michigan health officials: Baby died from birth defect, not COVID-19

Autopsy report cites gastroschisis as primary cause of death

According to an autopsy report released Friday, a 2-month-old baby thought to have died from coronavirus actually died of complications from a birth defect.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner said the baby, from the Upper Peninsula, was born with gastroschisis -- a condition where his intestines are located outside the body. The baby tested positive for COVID-19 a few days before his death and hospital staff reported the virus had contributed to his passing.

Sept. 18, 2020: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 115,387; Death toll now at 6,638

The final autopsy report lists gastroschisis as the immediate cause of death.

Officials from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday that a 2-month-old baby in Michigan had died from COVID-19.

When reached for a comment, a spokesperson said “We remain unable to provide any additional details about the 2-month-old who was mentioned at the press conference -- and that includes being unable to confirm or deny that any specific baby is the baby that was referenced.”

On Friday, MDHHS released a statement explaining its standards for deaths linked to COVID-19:

"Following national standards, MDHHS considers a death to be a COVID-19-associated death if the death is due to natural causes, there is a positive COVID-19 test, and one of the following is true:

  • The death is within 30 days of onset of COVID-19.
  • If the death is more than 30 days from onset, the certifying physician identifies COVID-19 as a contributing factor to death.

MDHHS relies on the judgment of treating physicians in determining whether a death is associated with COVID-19."


About the Authors
Jason Colthorp headshot

Jason is Local 4’s utility infielder. In addition to anchoring the morning newscast, he often reports on a variety of stories from the tragic, like the shootings at Michigan State, to the off-beat, like great gas station food.

Dane Kelly headshot

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

Loading...

Recommended Videos