Gardaí have begun an investigation into the circumstances in which a three-month-old infant sustained head injuries at a house in Co Tipperary on Thursday evening.
The baby boy was brought to a local GP who referred the child to South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel from where the infant was transferred to Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin.
The child, who is now under the care of a consultant paediatric team at the children’s hospital, is understood to be in serious but stable condition.
Gardaí say the direction of their investigation will be determined by what medical experts at Temple Street tell them about how the infant might have sustained its injuries.
Officers have cordoned off the house outside Thurles and Garda technical experts have begun an examination of the house as a precautionary measure.
Gardaí are treating the matter as a notification rather than an incident but are securing the scene in case it transpires a crime was committed.
Officers have spoken to the infant’s parents, who are both in their early 20s, to try to ascertain exactly what happened to the child while in their care.
Gardaí are also liaising with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency with regard to their investigation and whether they may have a role to play if child neglect or other issues are involved.