The welfare of a baby girl who died aged only five-months last week had been under the watch of the Department of Child and Family Services until last November, it has been confirmed.

The department was still looking out for the child?s care when the girl fell from a truck and suffered a fractured skull on November 8, at which point Family Services returned to court to seek an extension to its three-month supervision care order.

But the court turned down the request saying there was ?no case to answer? and the supervision order ceased.

The child lived for a further two months before dying of a rare viral infection.

Following the baby?s death last Tuesday child protection campaigner Sheelagh Cooper questioned whether Child and Family Services had done enough to ensure adequate monitoring of the girl?s welfare and medical care.

The Health Ministry has conducted its own investigation into the circumstances and, in response to questions from , issued a statement of its role in the case, pointing out that even when it attempted to have an extended supervision order granted it was denied that opportunity by the courts.

It has also been absolved of any blame by the coroner, who has told the Ministry that there was nothing it could have done to prevent the tragedy.

In a statement, the Ministry said: ?We have been unable to publicly respond to the concerns voiced without revealing specific, confidential information. However, we believe that it is important to reassure the public that social workers do investigate all allegations of child abuse and neglect that are brought to their attention and that referrals on young children are given the highest priority.?

Following specific concerns the Ministry had been granted a standard three-month court supervision order for the baby two days after it was born in August.

Ten days before the supervision order was due to expire the girl fell from a truck and fractured her skull on November 8. Child and Family Services returned to court to seek an extension of the supervision order but were turned down as the court did not feel there was any indication of significant harm and was told that there was no further need for the department?s involvement in the child?s care, according to the statement.

?There is a public misconception that social workers have the power to automatically take children from their families,? said a Ministry spokesman.

?Social workers are unable to take such action without a court order and in some instances they even needed Police assistance.?

Since the death of the girl, the Child and Family Services department has ?received verbal confirmation from the coroner that there was nothing the department could have done to prevent the tragedy.?

The autopsy concluded death had been caused by a rare viral infection that caused the swelling of the child?s heart resulting in a heart attack.

The Ministry said it relies heavily on information from professionals and members of the public and sometimes that information is only shared with the department when it is too late to take action.

In relation to the questions asked about the Ministry?s level of monitoring of the child?s welfare, the spokesman said: ?It is both unfortunate and disturbing that in this recent infant death, Family Services was the subject of unwarranted, premature attacks before all the facts were known. These attacks serve to undermine our credibility and make our job even more difficult.?

Anyone who has suspicions about the care of a child, should contact Family Services at 278-9111 on weekdays, and the Police during evenings and weekends.