A plea to look at the wider social issues at play behind a tragedy which has left a four year old boy with serious injuries

The Flaxmere boy suffered injuries late last month so severe they're likely to leave him disabled and brain damaged if he survives.

Maori Midwives Aotearoa Jean Te Huia says as a country we think of ourselves as caring for our underprivileged and poor - but we don't.

She says sadly, this is an indictment on severely stressed families.