The mother of a toddler killed in his Auckland home last week is pregnant.
Two-year-old James Lawrence died of traumatic internal injuries at his Orakei home on November 14.
A post-mortem examination last week revealed the toddler, known as JJ, suffered blunt force trauma to the abdomen, which caused severe damage to his organs.
The New Zealand Herald reports that the toddler's mother is expecting a child and Child Youth and Family told the paper it it would act if the safety of a baby was in question.
"As soon as Child, Youth and Family is aware a child's safety may be at risk, we take steps to assess the situation. That includes concerns for an unborn child.
"If the concerns are of a sufficiently serious nature, then children will be removed," CYF northern region manager Grant Bennett said.
CYF has already removed two children, whose parents shared a home with James, his mother and her partner, from the house. All four adults were home when James died.
The Government agency said last week it had no prior dealings with James or his mother but had been searching for JJ to "check on his wellbeing" in the four weeks before he died.
James was buried after a tangi in Northland on Thursday. The Herald said his father, who is in prison for burglary, did not attend the tangi.
No one has been arrested over the two-year-old's death.
NZN