Press release on shaken baby syndrome

April 3, 2004

- Ingri Cassel

FW: press release on shaken baby syndrome

Dear Members and Friends -

Debbie Grater, moderator and founder of Falsely-Accused of SBS and V.I.A.L. chapter director in

Pennsylvania, has sent out the following to every newspaper editor in her state. We suggest that you do

likewise. The Shaken Baby Syndrome "epidemic" must stop with the blame being placed on parents rather than

other factors... ~Ingri

Dear Editors,

Here is a press release of great importance that is being picked up by many top newspapers

and it should be published in every newspaper here and abroad. This can be verified by going

to www.bmj.com . If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at this e-mail .

This press release was recently picked up by Reuters and was also sent to the Associated

Press I believe. Thank you and I hope you consider publishing this in the paper.

Sincerely ,

Debra Grater

(1) Evidence for shaken baby syndrome is uncertain (Perimacular retinal folds from childhood head trauma) http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7442/754 (Editorials: The evidence base for the shaken baby syndrome) http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7442/719 ( Letters: Patterns of presentation of shaken baby syndrome) http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7442/766 The concept that certain eye injuries are diagnostic of shaken baby syndrome is scientifically questionable and needs to be re-examined, argue researchers in this week's BMJ. Shaken baby syndrome is a term used to describe the consequences of the forceful shaking of infants. It is usually recognised by a triad of injuries - bleeding into the eye and around the brain (subdural and retinal haemorrhages) and brain damage. Patrick Lantz and colleagues report the case of a healthy 14 month old child who was brought to hospital with a severe head injury after a television fell on him at home. Despite the father's repeated, detailed, and consistent account of the incident, Child Protective Services removed the child's 3 year old brother from the home because the injuries, particularly those in the retina of the eye (known as perimacular retinal folds), were considered diagnostic of abusive head trauma from shaking. The authors searched the medical literature on the eye injury observed in this case that has been considered specific for child abuse. They found that the ocular criteria used by some doctors to diagnose shaken baby syndrome "are not supported by objective scientific evidence" when taken out of context. Their findings are remarkably similar to another recently published review of the literature from 1966 to 1998, which identified "serious data gaps" in the scientific evidence to support a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome. In an accompanying editorial, experts stress the need to reconsider the diagnostic criteria, if not the existence, of shaken baby syndrome. A second editorial argues that no one detail can be diagnostic, as the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome should rest on a careful evaluation of all the features of the injury. There are clearly many uncertainties relating to shaken baby syndrome, and the scientific evidence to support a diagnosis may be less reliable than generally thought. These issues are argued in the two editorials. Contacts: Patrick Lantz, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, USA Email: plantz Editorial: John Plunkett, Forensic Pathologist, Regina Medical Center, Hastings, USA Email: Plunkettj Editorial: Anthony Ridson, Consultant Paediatric Pathologist, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, London, UK.

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Ingri Cassel, director

Vaccination Liberation

P.O. Box 457

Spirit Lake, Idaho 83869

(208) 255-2307/ (888) 249-1421

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