A slew of illnesses related to gross neglect and malnutrition caused the death of a ten-month-old baby girl the Supreme Court heard yesterday as the Crown opened its case against her parents.

Amenemhat Waset Amen-Ra Tamerry, a 48-year-old dentist, and his wife, Maatkai Hatsheput Tamerry, 36, are charged with unlawfully killing their daughter A' Maya Tamerry over three years ago.

The parents were formerly known as Clark Godwin and Regina Woods but had their names legally changed.

Both were both teary-eyed for part of the proceedings yesterday as the court heard that before her death their baby was severely underweight, blind and suffered from a slew of malnutrition related illnesses.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Kulandra Ratneser, who is assisted by DPP designate Vinette Graham-Allen and Crown counsel Shakira Dill, listed for the court the illnesses the baby suffered before her death on March 1, 2001.

Mr. Ratneser said that the parents admitted the child was sick for 12 days before she was finally taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital on February 28 in an “unresponsive state”.

A'Maya died the next morning around 8 a.m. after suffering two cardiac arrests and going brain dead. Mr. Ratneser also said A'Maya had not received any medical attention at all for seven months before her death.

The ten-woman, two-man jury heard A' Maya was examined by Dr. June Hill, Dr. Andrew Spence, and Dr. Roslyn Bascombe-Adams upon hospitalisation.

They found the baby - who was born healthy but slightly underweight - had life-threatening severe dehydration (ten percent), very high potassium levels, an inflammation of her stomach lining, Cepsis (possible overwhelming infection);

A yeast infection, an electrolyte imbalance, anaemia, double pneumonia, sunken eyes with a film over the cornea, Thrombcytopenia (a condition caused by low platelets in very sick babies) and too much acid in her blood which resulted in inadequate blood supply to certain parts of the body. A'Maya was also emaciated and had blotchy skin.

Mr. Ratneser also told the jury the doctors reported that the child showed severe failure to thrive resulting from poor nutrition and possible neglect. In the seven months before her death, she had only gained three ounces, he said, adding that Mrs. Tamerry admitted her child was restless and had to be coaxed to eat.

Her last reported meal was sea moss and canola.

Mr. Ratneser said a baby of ten months should weigh between 16 and 24 pounds but A' Maya weighed only eight pounds and three ounces when the autopsy was conducted.

Dr. John Obunfunwa performed the autopsy with the assistance of eye doctor, Leonard Teye-Botchway who discovered the baby was legally blind, he added.

A'Maya had ulcers in her eyes which caused holes in the cornea that revealed the iris.

The jury heard that the Tamerrys had been off the Island in the UK and returned to Bermuda on February 20, 2001 - eight days before their daughter died.

Reportedly they never got the child medical attention - in Bermuda or in the UK - during the 12 days she was ill.

Mr. Ratneser said that after A'Maya's birth the parents repeatedly missed doctors appointments to have their daughter weighed and ignored professional recommendation which included hospitalisation of A'Maya and putting her on formula to supplement the breast feeding.

“These two parents had a duty to provide the child with the necessities of life,” he said.

Because they allegedly did not, the result was manslaughter, he said. “This situation was brought about by neglect from birth.”

After his opening argument, Mr. Ratneser called just one witness, Dr. Terry-Lynn Emery, who was Mrs. Tamerry's obstetrician while she had been pregnant with A'Maya.

She said Mrs. Tamerry seemed at the time like any first time mother who was interested in her pregnancy and the well being of her child.

Dr. Emery said A'Maya lost some weight initially after birth because she was not latching onto her mother's breast properly but that the problem had been “resolved” after two weeks.

In cross examination by defence lawyer Mark Pettingill, Dr. Emery said she saw the parents two weeks after the birth of their daughter and they had not seemed to have lost interest or to be uncaring.

She said that Mrs.Tamerry had been very keen to have a child as she had had trouble conceiving. Dr. Emery said she did not have any concerns that the parents were neglectful and that the child had gained some weight after a period of time.

The trial continues today before Chief Justice Richard Ground and is expected to last two weeks.