A 10-week-old baby girl from Co Louth is in a critical condition in hospital having sustained unexplained life-threatening head injuries.
Gardaí are trying to establish if the child somehow fell and suffered the injuries or if she met with foul play.
The baby was taken to hospital in Co Louth on Monday by her parents after they became concerned for her welfare.
After medical staff examined the child, the Garda was contacted and an investigation commenced.
The child has since been transferred to Temple Street hospital in Dublin city centre and remains very seriously ill.
Gardaí in Louth have spoken to the parents, both of whom are very young, in their efforts to establish when and how the child was injured.
It is understood the parents said she fell from a pushchair.
The investigating team has examined the apartment where the parents and child were living. A walkway area outside has also been searched and forensically examined.
Detectives are currently treating the baby’s injuries as unexplained.
Given the seriousness of the case all the resources of a criminal investigation have been applied to the case.
A Garda spokeswoman confirmed the child’s condition came to light at a local hospital on Monday.
“The child was later transferred to a Dublin hospital where she remains in a serious condition,” she said.
“The circumstances of how the child received her injuries is now part of a Garda investigation.”
