‘Sailor’s disease’ scurvy linked to young boy’s death

A six-year-old Brisbane boy has died from scurvy, the so‑called “sailor’s disease” common in the convict era.

Connor Dean died after a cardiac arrest under general anaesthetic at Queensland Children’s Hospital in 2024.

Two years later, Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher has released her findings, ruling the child’s fatal brain damage was most likely triggered by vitamin C deficiency and scurvy.

“Although the precise mechanism leading to the cardiac arrest could not be definitively determined, the treating clinicians and forensic pathologist considered vitamin C deficiency to be the most likely underlying factor,” she determined.

Scurvy was once common among sailors and convicts who went without fresh fruit and vegetables on long sea voyages.

However, it is now so rare in Australia that serious cases are almost always found and treated.

Connor had Down syndrome, was born with a serious heart defect that was repaired in 2018, and had delayed development, speaking mostly in single words and walking with a wide gait.

He was admitted to hospital on July 18, with X‑rays and MRIs failing to show a clear cause.

He then developed a bad cough and tested positive for parainfluenza as his oxygen levels and kidney function worsened.

Scans of his skeleton later showed bone changes “in keeping with scurvy”.

Blood tests revealed a vitamin C level of less than one micromole a litre, compared with a normal range of 20 to 120 micromoles a litre.

He was also low in vitamins A and E, had borderline low vitamin D and blood‑clotting problems that suggested vitamin K deficiency.

Connor never recovered from the brain damage after the cardiac arrest and died on August 10.

His paediatrician told the court he and dietitians had long‑standing concerns about the boy’s growth, with his height and weight well below the usual range even for children with Down syndrome.