KEY POINTS:
A post-mortem examination on an 18-month-old boy found dead in his Te Anau home on Tuesday has proved inconclusive and police are awating results of further tests.
Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Cowie, of Invercargill CIB, saisd police were continuing to investigate the "suspicious death".
The results of further tests would not be known for some time, Mr Cowie told the Southland Times.
The toddler's Pop Andrew Drive home remained cordoned yesterday as a team of 11 police officers worked on the investigation. The family was staying with relatives at another Te Anau property.
Mr Cowie said police were focusing on completing a scene examination, interviewing family members and extended family and awaiting the post-mortem results.
"I think you would classify it as a suspicious death," he said. "In saying that we have a duty to investigate deaths involving children and once we have a clear idea (of cause of death) we will know if the investigation will get bigger or scale down.
The family was "naturally very upset".
"The police appreciate this is a difficult time for all family and extended family and extend our sympathies to them," Mr Cowie said.
Police were called to the house at 1.25pm on Tuesday after the toddler's death was reported to them by St John ambulance paramedics.
- NZPA
