Ian and Angela Gay, who spent 15 months in jail for killing three year old Christian Blewitt with salt, were cleared by retrial. - But saline puzzle?

Couple who spent 15 months in jail for killing boy with salt cleared by retrial jury

Extract:

"Christian Blewitt collapsed at their home in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, in December 2002. He died four days later. Tests showed an abnormally high level of sodium in his blood.

The couple were cleared of murder in 2005 but convicted of manslaughter and were jailed. After 15 months in prison they were freed on bail when the Court of Appeal overturned the verdict and ordered a retrial on charges of manslaughter and cruelty.

Yesterday, at Nottingham Crown Court, they were cleared by a jury of both counts. The prosecution claimed that the couple had force-fed Christian up to six full teaspoons of salt as a punishment for being naughty."

What puzzles me is that it is reported here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/4039993.stm that: "He died in December 2002 of brain injuries and salt poisoning.

Susan Caynak was working as a sister at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, West Midlands, when the toddler arrived.

She told the jury: "His eyes were half closed, half open. He was unresponsive and initially, at that point, I thought he was dead."

Sister Caynak said an abnormal urine test was recorded and that Christian was administered saline through a syringe. ""

If Christian was ill because of salt excess, WHY ON EARTH WAS SALINE ADMINISTERED TO HIM BY SYRINGE? - THIS COULD ONLY COMPOUND THE PROBLEM, SURELY? - And was this saline measured and taken into account as having contributed to the excess of salt in his body?