Tragedy in Italy: 7-month-old baby dies from carbon monoxide poisoning after parents’ deaths

A 7-month-old baby girl who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning along with her parents died this morning at Maggiore Hospital in Parma. The infant succumbed to her injuries, while her father and mother had died earlier from the same poisoning.

The tragedy occurred at a house in Mezzani, in Italy’s Parma province, overnight between Thursday, October 29, and Friday, October 30. The 35-year-old father and 32-year-old mother are believed to have died in their sleep.

Their 7-month-old daughter was still alive when she was found. She was initially taken to the hyperbaric unit at Vaio Hospital in Fidenza before being transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit at Maggiore Hospital in Parma, where she did not survive.

Preliminary findings from the investigation suggest that the family had been using a wood-burning stove to heat the bedroom. Investigators suspect the stove released toxic gases that caused the fatal poisoning.

The couple’s 14-year-old son is believed to have raised the alarm after his uncle was unable to contact his parents. The uncle and other relatives who were at the house also suffered mild carbon monoxide poisoning. They were discharged from hospital after receiving medical treatment, as their condition was not considered to pose any particular risk.

Originally from Senegal, the family had lived in the Parma area for several years. They had recently moved into the house on Bocca d’Enza street where the incident occurred. The tragedy has deeply shocked the local community, while authorities continue their investigation to fully establish the circumstances of the poisoning.