Shaken: A Diagnosis on Trial
Welcome to my web site on shaken baby syndrome (SBS), now known as abusive head trauma (AHT). The subject is both tragic and unsettling, in more ways than one.
First, I must make clear that child abuse is a real problem: People do punch, slam, shake, and throw their children, with devastating results.
That said, decades of research have convinced me that well-intentioned child-abuse experts working with a flawed model of a complex physiological condition are tearing apart benign families and sending innocent people to prison in astonishing numbers.
The widely accepted model of SBS suffers from two misconceptions:
- Specificity of the findings. Although doctors outside the child-abuse arena are now recognizing more and more medical conditions that can produce the same bleeding and swelling that defines the syndrome, physicians trained in the classic model continue to diagnose shaking based on those findings, even if the child shows no bruises, grip marks, or other signs of an assault.
- Timing of the symptoms. Classic thinking is that an assault violent enough to produce the symptoms of SBS would cause an immediate and dramatic change in the victim’s consciousness. Therefore, the adult caring for the child when the breathing problems and seizures begin is presumed to be guilty of assault. But time has provided documented cases of the symptoms’ emerging definitively only hours after the injury. See, for example, the letter at the bottom of this page.
For a quick illustration of how an SBS diagnosis can go wrong, please see the Prologue to my book. For article-length treatments of other cases, with a bit of the science woven in, see Cases on this site. Check out my Posts for a brief history of SBS, more cases, and occasional news, and see the Resources page for advice if you’ve been wrongly accused of shaking or slamming a baby. For my detailed history of the shaken baby research, with footnotes, please see Shaken Baby Syndrome: Medico-Legal Miscommunication. For a partial outline of the book and a handful of sample chapters, see the Outline.
If you’re eager for a detailed academic treatment of the subject from an authority with great credentials, see Professor Deborah Tuerkheimer’s first law-review article on the subject. For a quick summary, see her New York Times op ed piece from the fall of 2010.
An example of multiple medical professionals’ not recognizing the subtle symptoms of a fatal pediatric head injury across many hours of hospitalization:
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology © 2002 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. Volume 23(1), March 2002, p. 105 Symptoms Following Head Injury (Letters to the Editor) Huntington, Robert W. III M.D. Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. To the Editor: A recent proposed position paper regarding pediatric non- accidental abuse head injury would allege that we may depend on symptoms to appear immediately upon injury (1). I have a concern about that claim, which I will explain with the CASE REPORT A 13-month-old Hispanic girl was brought to the University of Wisconsin Hospital on the morning of September 18, 1999. The complaint was of vomiting that had lasted for 24 hours. She was described as irritable, sleepy, and vomiting. In our emergency room she was noted to have extensive bruises on the cheeks, chest, back, and arms; the mother attributed these to bites by a 3-year-old housemate. She was admitted and given intravenous fluids. She was sedated with pantothal followed by head computed tomography, which was negative. She was then admitted to the pediatric ward. The resident who saw her described her in the chart and in discussion as being fussy and clingy, but interactive and responsive. Because of the numerous bruises, the police were notified and took pictures. At about 2:00 the following morning, a nurse coming in to care for the child noted that she had decreased respirations. It was then shown that she was unresponsive and had a right dilated unreactive pupil with a sluggish left pupil. She was taken emergently to the pediatric intesive care unit, where she was intubated and given mannitol. A subsequent computed tomography scan showed very poor differentiation of the gray/white matter interface. A Codman catheter was placed and then replaced with a ventriculostomy tube after an intracranial pressure of 21 mm Hg was noted. On the evening of the day after admission, a cerebral blood flow study showed no cerebral blood flow. She was pronounced brain dead. In the interim, her mother had fled town and has not been found since. An autopsy was done on September 20, 1999. This showed hemorrhage in the left optic nerve sheath and left retinal hemorrhages as well as marked cerebral edema and thin widespread subdural hemorrhage. Diffuse axon injury was demonstrated with amyloid precursor protein antibody. My point is that the child did have some symptoms, but clearly the severe intracranial injury symptoms, which were confirmed on repeat computed tomography and autopsy, were delayed for several hours, during which time she was under our view and review in the hospital. Others have noted similar problems (2). Robert W. Huntington III, M.D. REFERENCES 1. Case ME, Graham MA, Handy TC, Jentzen JM, Monteleone JA. Position paper on fatal abusive head injury in infants and young children. Am J Foresnci Med Pathol 2001; 23: 112-22. 2. Gilliland MGF. Interval duration between injury and severe symptoms in non-accidental head trauma in infants and young children. J Forensic Sci 1998; 43: 723-5.
copyright 2011 Sue Luttner
On Shaken Baby 
I am from the uk my daughter n her partner being accused of sbs due to sub heamorage, and buckle handle fracture to tibia. No other symtoms. Arrested not charged yet. Scared dont no how i can help. Children in my care taken off my daughter.
First, please accept my condolences on the tragedy that has visited your family.
Have you found the False Allegations Support Group? https://false-allegations.org.uk/
You need to get yourself an attorney who understands your daughter and her partner are innocent, and you need to gather all of the child’s medical records: pregnancy, delivery, well-baby checks, and everything related to the incident that led to the diagnosis. Make sure you get the radiology images, not just the reports.
And have you found one of the on-line support groups? See the Resources page of my blog, https://onsbs.com/home/resources/.
All the best to you all. -Sue
Hello Sammy, I help run a facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/189466145159119
FAONAI UK: Falsely Accused of Non-Accidental Injury (NAI) UK
We have lots of advice and everyone in the group has been, or is going through a similar ordeal.
This is ridiculous and a huge mistake to include SBS into a broad category of head trauma. MANY Babies don’t necessarily get bruises, and they certainly don’t lose consciousness right away. There can definitely be an absence of spots or bruises anywhere, but the opposing brain damage to the front and back or side to side are always there, and the raccoon eyes.
Something must be done to isolate certain specifics that all SBS babies incur. If not, there will be a lot of people who have shaken babies get off free.
Just now starting to realize how many people are accused who are not guilty. I’m at a loss for words that my son is being accused of SBS. You won’t find one single person who will ever say my son has been violent. The precious baby in question never had a chance in his short life. He was born addicted to hard drugs and had problems form birth. Mom never had custody and shouldn’t even have had the baby at my house. I don’t know where to even start as legal expenses are outrageous.
My condolences on the tragedy that has visited your family. I am sending you a private email. Did you notice the Resources page?
This is an international problem. I’m in the UK and my daughter and her partner have been accused of harming their 5 week old son and he has been taken in to care. They have been arrested but not charged. My grandson was having seizures so was taken to hospital. After a CT scan medical professionals found multiple ages of bleeding and said that it’s non accidental head injury. He did have a fall a little over a week before from the bed on to washing but that has been discounted. We’re at a loss of what to do.
Your first priority is to gather and organize the medical records, and to find an outside medical expert to examine them. You also need an attorney who understands the arena. I have sent you a private email with more information.
Many good wishes to your family—I hope your grandson is back soon with the people who love him most in the world.
Update. After 11 months baby was returned to his parents after the local authority decided that their case was not strong enough. My daughter and I were diagnosed with hEDS during the year and my grandson is highly suspected of having it too.
Thank you so much for letting us know. I am glad your legal ordeal is over—best wishes with the health challenges.
Leo Ackley in Battle Creek, MI was re-tried for the murder of his girlfriend’s daughter. He was again convicted, despite the testimony of forensic pathologist LJ Dragovic refuting the bad work done by ME Joyce deJong. Ackley spends the rest of his life in prison.
But Joyce deJong is also a defendant, in the federal Civil Rights lawsuit brought by David Ferris II up in Grand Rapids. (Judge Robert Jonker). Murder charges against Ferris were dropped by the prosecutor in Cadillac, MI after Dragovic (again) refuted her work. Ferris spent 97 days in jail.
While it doesn’t approach the level of homicide charges, my family in Kalamazoo is having its own nightmarish experience with deJong, also our County ME. She falsely labeled my 12-year old nephew’s accidental death a suicide, and went litigation-defensive upon request for her to change it. We, too, have had the good fortune to have Dr. Dragovic reviewing our case.
I blog about it, maybe too much. What else is an uncle left to do.
Thank you so much for writing. When I started researching shaken baby syndrome in 1997, I thought I was looking at an improbable anomaly in the medical field. Years later, I realize that the pressures of the courtroom have distorted many aspects of forensic medicine.
Losing a child is a nightmare under any circumstances. I would think that that a misdiagnosis of suicide, although it has fewer legal ramifications than a misdiagnosis of murder, would magnify the pain horribly. Please accept my condolences on your family’s loss, and on the misguided institutional response.
Best wishes in your case. Thank you for fighting back. It will take an incredible amount of pressure to divert the steamroller.
My brother is dealing with this right now. They are now trying to indict for capital murder!!!! A 6 month old baby died in his care. She was drowning in her milk and became blue. My brother shook her in response of panic. Rushed to get help and help began CPR. She had severe case of pneumonia when she died. Came out in the autopsy. Mother is on my brother’s side. She had taken baby to doctors a week before and they did nothing. I don’t know where to turn. How to help him.
I am so glad you’re taking the initiative to find help for your brother.
I have sent you a private email. Your first priority is to assemble a complete set of the child’s medical records, so you can find an independent physician to examine them and determine the true cause of death.
Contact David Marshall, a lawyer in Seattle with experience on these type cases.
Thank you, will do. I know of Mr. Marshall and have talked with him in the past. I will keep you posted.
My husband and I are going through the horrific process right now of being falsely accused of SBS. Pancreas and liver enzyme levels were high when admitted to the ER. They thought there was abdominal trauma due to that, but a CAT scan showed there was none. They then said that the enzyme levels weren’t a big deal. But our son (12 weeks old) has two linear skull fractures and brain bleed. We did nothing to harm our child, but we need to prove that to social services and the medical staff who refuse to think of any other explanation. Please help! (they haven’t released the medical records to us yet, but we are working on getting them. Hopefully we will have them in the next week or so).
Thanks,
Cam
I am so sorry to learn of another family caught in this nightmare. I have sent you a private email: Please be in touch again if you didn’t receive it. Best wishes to you all, especially your son.
A great read. Me and my fiance are currently being very falsely accused of shaking our 3 month old daughter here in the UK. We kept taking her to the hospital telling them something was wrong for weeks but they just checked her temperature and sent us away. She kept vomiting and was sleepy.
We were told we are feeding her too much milk but that was not the case.
She’s in another hospital now and we see her 3 days a week for 1 and a half hours.
She was born a month early and has thin blood.
I have anemia and weak blood vessels, I also had thrombosis. I believe my daughter has some type of defincency but we are now being investigated by the police and hospital.
Any advice would be very helpful. Thank you
I have sent you a private email.
It is not at all uncommon for children diagnosed as shaken to have had health problems for days or weeks before the diagnoses, sometimes from birth. I hope you can find doctors willing to look for the underlying cause of your daughter’s symptoms. Many good wishes to you all.
I’m so thankful I found this web site my daughter is going through this right now and i am afraid for her and her boyfriend. My daughter and her boyfriend took their son to the hospital because he was vomiting, tried the whole day didn’t want to eat when they got there and the doctor asked them what was wrong with him they said they didn’t know, just that he haven’t ate all day the few bottles he ate he was throwing them up. They took him at nine at night when they went home to change at six in morning and bring their other two children to me the police where at there door saying they needed to come downtown to answer some questions about the baby, long story short the doctors said it was sbs that he has rib fractures in multiple stages of healing, poor weight gain, and breathing problems. He had breathing problems since he was born and he was a premature baby My daughter and boy friend are facing three felonys of child endangerment after being arrested and children took, we just found out the doctor said they made a mistake on the rib fractures he has none then he went to the ear nose and throat doctor and they found that he had to have surgery because he has severe laryngomalacia and that’s why he wasn’t gaining weight. So my grandson has surgery and then they find out his oxygen level was low and sends him home with oxygen tubes and tanks, and the doctors are still talkin about it’s shaken baby syndrome, to let me say since my grandson was born he never had a cry, his cry was so low that u would need your mother instincts to wake up on his movement to feed him and check on him, And doctors still say sbs. need all the help we can get don’t have a lot of money for big time lawyers
I have sent you a private message.
Have you found the Resources page on this site? https://onsbs.com/home/resources/
We live in Oklahoma,USA. My daughter has been accused of this. The baby was dropped off to her at 8a.m., she called me at 20:15a.m., at 10:30a.m. she was at my door in a panic, because the little girl (23mo.) Was unresponsive. We immediately called 911, they arrived and took her to the hospital, we followed and got in touch with the family. The police questioned my daughter and the parents. The mother said the baby was fine when she dropped her off, but later told one of the doctors she was harder to wake up that morning, didn’t bother to tell my daughter this and rushed off to work. My daughter told them she seemed fine, but she hadn’t been eating like she usually did for a couple of days. At the hospital they said the baby had a blood sugar level of 349, but no insulin was given to her at any time. The baby had a brain bleed and they said it had to have happened in the time my daughter had her. They searched her house letting no one in until they did, but found nothing. In a statement she wrote to the police she said she shook her when she wouldn’t wake up and that’s all it took. Their investigation was over. The autopsy showed no neck injury. The baby had an infection and had finished her antibiotics, bit the autopsy showed she still had the infection. My daughter only had her a little over 2 hours the day it happened and had taken her to the dad at noon the day before. We are not rich and we need help!! We need someone to look at the medical records and help us to prove her innocence. She has 2 boys of her own that miss their mom very much. If anyone can help us we would appreciate it very much. We need to get her home to her family, instead of sitting in a jail cell for something she didn’t do. Thank you.
I’m so sorry to hear of this tragedy. I have sent you a private email. Please be in touch again if you don’t receive it.
“At the hospital they said the baby had a blood sugar level of 349, but no insulin was given to her at any time. The baby had a brain bleed and they said it had to have happened in the time my daughter had her”.
REPLY
A blood Sugar level of 349 means the Pancreas is not secreting Insulin which is necessary for the transfer of Glucose from the blood into the cells. Insulin is also necessary for the transfer of Vitamin C from the Blood into the cells and hence a deficiency will cause a failure of the cell to function effectively without Vitamin C and in the case of the cells lining the blood vessels this failure results in weakening of the wall of the Blood Vessels and hemorrhage,
This is the reason for the “brain bleed” in this child.
Michael D Innis FRCPA; FRCPath
Hi, my baby woke up with seizures and her blood sugar was also extremely high when going into the hospital. She was 3 months old at the time and had some difficulty seeing and always had her fists clenched since birth (things that can be easily explained away).
My husband was falsely accused of SBS and is now waiting to see what happens (whether it go to trial or gets dismissed)… Baby is doing fantastic! She is in foster care, but the nurse she got placed with knows that we had nothing to do with her injuries.
The blood sugar comment really caught my eye since that was the first thing they noticed during her initial admission to the ER.
How can I find more information about this so I can give it to my husband’s attorney.
Also, do you have any information on how cases like this get dismissed?! We are living in a limbo world right now and it’s terrible.
Thank you so much!
I’ve sent you a private message with some suggestions. Best wishes.
I’d love to hear more about the high blood sugar levels causing brain bleeds in infants.
We have a very similar case.
Thank you.
Insulin has two important functions in the Body.
1. It transfers Glucose from the Blood into Cells to keep the cells functioning appropriately.
2 . It transfers Vitamin C from the Blood into cells including the cells of the capillary blood vessels which make the fibrous tissue of the wall of the vessel an keep it healthy. When Insulin is deficient the capillary walls are fragile and spontaneous Haemorrhages are likely.
An elevated Blood Sugar means Insulin is deficient and Haemorrhages may occur.
Michael D Innis FRCPA; FRCPath
Sue – What to do now? My son’s trial ended with a hung jury, and we’ve exhausted funding. My grandson is thriving, showing no signs from traumatic birth, emergency C-section and medical malfeasance. My son, Jeremy, took a ”deal” to avoid re-trial in a county known for ‘win-at-all-cost’ prosecutorial methods and unprofessional courtroom antics. I think there’s a good chance to re-open this court case and get out the truth, that my grandson’s injuries were NOT the result of shaking, and prosecution and adjudication were biased and unprofessional. We know it, and they know it. How can we ”undo” this terrible, terrible injustice?
I wish I knew, Mr. Yerger. I am so discouraged. Michelle Heale in New Jersey and Joshua Burns in Detroit were both convicted last year, in cases with no signs of battering, like Jeremy’s. (See Does the Triad Prove Abuse, or Not?)
Best wishes to you and your family.
Magda and Carlos I am happy to provide a report, (pro Bono) if you send me copies of the Hospital Reports including the Laboratory Results.
Michael D Innis FRCPA; FRCPath.
Thank you, Dr. Innis. Your comment was lost in the spam folder for a while, but I found it.
I have just watched your interview with Dr Guthkelch.
Thank you for your work on this issue!!….I run The Informed Parent in the UK (www.informedparent.co.uk) which is primarily about vaccination issues. I have recently been contacted about 2 separate cases where carers/parent have been accused of SBS….in one case they have been found ‘guilty’ and imprisoned – the other they are under investigation with the awful situation where their other children have been taken into care etc etc… I am just trying to make contact with anyone who may be able to offer some info/help etc etc. I do hope to hear from you soon.
I am glad you found this site. I have sent you a private email with resources. Best wishes to these families. -Sue
Hello. My name is Carlos. Right now I am under investigation. They think I shook my 8-week-old baby boy, but i didn’t do it. My baby is out of danger now but I’m scared that they are going to blame it on me and I don’t know what to do. Can you or someone help me please.
I’m sorry your family has drawn into this tragedy, but I am glad to hear your son is now out of danger. I have sent you a private email.
Sue, You are an amazing woman to help people who are falsely accused of these allegations. I’m stuck in a fog here, There is a motion hearing on September 22nd To terminate my parental rights. I’m fighting and want to go to trial however, my lawyer even told me that once the state files this I basically have no chance and they would make me look terrible in front Of a jury
I just wanted to thank you for letting people know about this I know its been a while but my son (Drayton Witt)and daughter in law are doing very well and seeing the smiles on their faces means the world to my husband and me.
Thank you again
Mr and Mrs Mark Witt
Thank you so much for leaving a comment, Ms. Witt. I am hoping your son’s case will help move the debate forward, so we can get more of the falsely convicted out of prison.
Hi Sue – My family really needs your help! We are fighting for my brother… there are so many variables we are trying to weed through. We have all the medical records we can get our hands on, pictures (from a traumatic birth), attorney records… thankfully my nephew is doing very well a year after his brain injury, but our family is still fighting for the innocence of my brother.
I have sent you a private email.
I am very glad to hear that your nephew is doing well. I hope you can prevent the state from tearing him from his father.
This is great work. I am one day hoping for many people to open their eyes to this issue and do what is right. Keep up the good work and I look forward to following along the way.
Please, I need help. Do UW Children’s Hospital of Madison has accused, or stated that some damage to my daughters brain was done more than likely by shaken baby syndrome. Caused either by my boyfriend or myself. Can explain it all on here but this case has been going on for 2 years and a trial is coming up and I need help really badly… please help, neither one of us has ever hurt our child..
Many good wishes in your fight. I have sent you a private email.
Please send me a copy of the Hospital Records, including all the Laboratory results, and I will prepare a report (pro bono)
Michael Innis FRCPA; FRCPath
Tell your doctor if blood sugar was under control during the
past three months, and the recording of Hb – A1c levels. I entered
the hospital on bed rest and received steroid treatment to mature my baby
faster. When you eat a lot of sugar and other refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes, your body eventually becomes
resistant to the effects of insulin.
Karen doctors are misdiagnosing Tissue Scurvy and falsely accusing innocent parents of child abuse, If you send me the records of the Laboratory Investigations done on the child I will provide a report -pro bono
and hopefully put an end to the inane diagnosis of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Michael D Innis MBBS; DTM&H; FRCPA; FRCPath
Surely the essential test is not liver enzymes etc. but Vitamin C level or at our lab Ascorbic acid level. If that is very low then you have an argument for scurvy, otherwise not. Actually now I have a dozen patients with incredibly low Vitamin C levels with none of them any sign of scurvy.
However I do not have any paediatric patients.
Un gros merci à l’auteur du site web
My son is being wrongly accused. We start trial next Friday and I am looking for an expert near Texas as we are not wealthy and can not afford to bring someone from out of state.
I’ve sent you a private message. Best wishes to your son and your family.
Karyn
April 4, 2014 at 11:05 pm
“My son is being wrongly accused. We start trial next Friday and I am looking for an expert near Texas as we are not wealthy and can not afford to bring someone from out of state.”
Karyn I assume your son is being accused of Shaking a child to death. If so insist on seeing the Laboratory Reports where you will find evidence of an Autoimmune Reaction
1 Urine – Glucose present
2 Blood
1 Glucose elevated
2 Albumin reduced
3 ALT elevated
4 AST elevated
5 SGOT elevated
6 PT elevated
Google Tissue Scurvy Misdiagnosed as Child Abuse -Michael D Innis
Hi Sue,
I’m wondering if you know of a good publisher for a SBS story? Thank you for your web site. Keep up the good work.
Michelle
Thank you for the words of support, Michelle,
I am sitting here right now working on (yet another) proposal. After years of pitching articles, I know one thing for sure: It’s a tough sell.
If you’re writing about a case local to you, I’d suggest the area newspapers or regional magazines. They’re easier to get into than the national publications, and the local hook is very effective.
I’m about to start looking into on-line forums as well. I think there are a number of sites that accept personal essays, if you can couch it that way.
Please let me know if you succeed. Thank you for taking on this difficult but important topic.
Dear Sue:
Thank you for starting this site. My son & daughter-in-law have recently been falsely accused of SBS. We are currently living this nightmare and fighting the battle of our lives. Even thought the CPS in NY, the first to make the accusation, has has closed the case as “unfounded” , the CT DCF’s chief witness & medical examiner said SBS could not be proved or disproved and an expert medical team has determined the issues are related to birth trauma, we have not been successful in getting DCF to close the case. We continue to look for more expert witnesses. Your site is very helpful. We want to make sure this does not happen to anymore innocent families. Please let me know how I can help.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.7sur7.be%2F7s7%2Ffr%2F1502%2FBelgique%2Farticle%2Fdetail%2F1689348%2F2013%2F08%2F19%2FDeces-suspect-dans-une-creche-le-bebe-n-a-pas-ete-secoue.dhtml
Hi Sue
Am back here because of Baby A from South Africa.
Are you aware of this case?
Can you EXPLAIN that letter (in your article) as it is not 100 per cent clear what you mean.
Are you claiming that on arrival the signs for battering were ABSENT
AND they appeared only a long time after?
The timing is of course very very important.
How do you put the time to when the battering or whatever event occurred?
I say this because of cases where carers get the blame for harm.
It is important for me that you explain this for a simple person!
Thank you for the chance to clarify.
The signs of battering were present and documented when the child arrived at the hospital. She was then in the care of hospital staff for 18 hours before she developed breathing problems and seizures, followed by continuing deterioration and death. Unless you believe the night nurse shook the girl, there was a lucid interval between the incident and the obvious signs of brain injury. Even when surrounded by professional observers and subjected to multiple assessments, the patient was treated only for gastrointestinal problems.
It does cast serious doubt on the theory that all fatal pediatric brain injuries are immediately obvious, an opinion I’ve read time and again in trial transcripts.
I have tried to explain to Guthkelth and his followers that what they call “Shaken Baby Syndrome” is in fact an Autoimmune Disorder, Tissue Scurvy, caused by vaccines and bacterial, viral and parasitic infections in genetically susceptible children.
The Shaken Baby Syndrome is one example of Tissue Scurvy. I have posted other examples in the Rapid Response of the BMJ recently.
Google – Autoimmunity and non-accidental injury in children – for a fuller account.
If further explanation is required I am happy to respond.
Michael D Innis FRCPA; FRCPath
As far as who was first Coffey or Guthkelch there was an MD in France about 185O or so who used the term sévisse which is not service but a rare word meaning physical abuse.
The writers take the credit.
Balzac has a less famous novel called Pierette which deals with child abuse and head injury in consequence.
Then for those of you who read Hungarian a novel by Móricz called Árvácska.
Both Pierette and Árvácska were beaten abused and suffered head injury as a result.
I don’t suppose the term subdural haematoma was used by these great authors.
Dickens also might be worth a try or even Hugo They have lots of suffering mistreated children in their novels.
Thank you for posting.
Perhaps you speak of Dr. Tardieu in France? I do give him passing mention in Chapter 3.
I didn’t know about the literary references. Thank you for the supplement.
Merci beaucoup.
Indeed it was Dr Tardieu I had forgotten the name.
Two issues.
One the case of SIDS or crib death was thought to be murder or accidental suffocation a Cy ago as in the parent rolling over in her sleep onto the baby.
Then it was a syndrome of accidental death with no known cause but a hundred theories firstly underdeveloped respiratory centre in the brain stem. Now in the UK it is again murder in 1O% accidental in 8O% unknown in 1O% +-.
Horrible to miss murder even more horrible to accuse innocent grieving parents of murder.
The same evolution of nosology or aetiology is paralleled by the SBS trauma X as we called it at Dal.
First it doesn’t exist then it becomes a certainty of a syndrome BTW syndrome means we don’t know what the hell we are talking about just lumping together a few unknown facts and observations and guesses finally it become a medicolegal litigious football.
I have a theory. As you may not know there are not only plants bacteria fungi and animals on this planet but new kingdoms of life. Extremophiles archaea chromista etc. These were discovered in the deep ocean trenches as they separate and spew forth hot magma.
Hang onto your hats now they were also discovered in the human stomach!!!
If we don’t look for something or don’t have the means to find them they don’t exist.
Dr Norman Guthkelch mentioned it over a half a Cy ago that most of the subdural hematomata are caused not by trauma whether birth accidental or criminal but by meningitis or I presume encephalitis.
Now that there are new unknown forms of life not fungi not viruses not bacteria is it not possible that the SBS triad of raised ICP subdural haematoma and retinal haemorrhage is simply due to these new infectious organisms? Extremophiles or chromista or archaea?
The fussiness incessant crying and sheer cussedness of these babies is a sign of their illness or malady or disease prompting the parents to do unspeakable things to them. Given that extremophiles hang around the human stomach is it not possible that they inhabit the gut of colicky babies?
BTW it turns out that most subdurals due to birth trauma resolve without a hitch as most retinal haemorrhages do. Normal unshaken and unstirred babies have indeed the supposed triad of SBS which is more of a cult than a science.
The Shaken Baby Syndrome and the morph used by the American Academy of Pediatrics – Abusive Head Trauma – is a diagnosis founded on opinion, not on Science. For a Scientific account of the condition Google
Michael D Innis Autoimmunity and non-Accidental Injury in Children Clinical Medicine Research. MM-DD-2013, pp. x-x.
Please help a father who was convicted and sentenced to Life in Prison for his 4mo old son’s death.
Here is the link to the story and any information that could be any help is appreciated. He is doing an appeal but needs any and all help that anyone could offer. Thank you!
https://www.causes.com/actions/1661910-help-free-michael-giovo-jr?utm_campaign=search_widget
I’m so sorry to hear of another family drawn into this tragedy. I’ve sent you a private email about available resources—-you can also see the Resources page of this blog.
Best wishes.
Hi Sue, I really appreciate your web site. My son has now spent 5 years in prison for SBS. The child is fine with no problems. How could this have been SBS? Our case is in the Supreme Court right now, but up to this point we ave lost every appeal. I am convinced that they know that my son was innocent and they will not give us a break. The detective even said on the stand that he blamed Brandon within one hour of receiving the call. He actually set out to pin this on my son, not try to find out the truth. If you will give our web site out that would be great. It is supportbrandon.com
Thank you for writing, Linda. I’ve added his web site to my “Cases” page, at https://onsbs.com/cases/
If you would like to join a parent support group, and add Brandon to the document for mailings from members, check out the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/60039803369/ or the Yahoo group at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/falsely-accusedofSBS/. You will only be able to see the cover pages at first, but you can submit a request to join, and once you’re accepted you’ll be able to see the postings.
Best wishes to Brandon. I’m so sorry.
Hi there. I am currently on trial for this accusation so any support would be great. My case has been ongoing for 2 and a half years now 😦 x
I’m so sorry you’ve been drawn into this tragic arena. There is a group in Britain called the 5%ers, formed to defend parents against unfounded accusations of abuse. I’ve been unable to find a web site for them, but I received another comment earlier this month from a parent in Britain who mentioned them. You can contact her through her web site at http://www.searchfortruth.co.uk/index.html
Best wishes.
I have written a book about our experience of a false allegation of Shaken Baby that nearly led to the removal of our children in the UK. The book “When Truth no longer Matters” details what happened and the eventual correct diagnosis for our son.
I am working with Rioch Edwards-Brown, campaigner and founder of The 5%ers – a support group for wrongfully accused parents and we have set up an e-petition to try and get the UK Government to ensure there are better protocols to stop wrongful allegations and to stop abused children slipping through the net.
Any support would be gratefully received and your can sign the e-petition here:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/39967
Thank you!
Thank you for writing. I’m trying to find a U.S. distributor of your book in paperback.
In the mean time, I’m going to paste here the url to your lovely web site, with information about ordering the book electronically or in Britain:
http://www.searchfortruth.co.uk/index.html
And here is the url for the Five Percenters:
http://www.sbs5.dircon.co.uk/
Best wishes
i have a 2 month old girl with two blood clots and a skull fracture. The doc is saying it is sbs but it simply cant be. Please help me find a cause before my husband gets wrongly convicted.
If you haven’t yet found the Resources page, check it out. I will send you an email off line. -S.
Hi
My Email
johnfryer@orange.fr
blood clots and skull fracture
Possible causes not criminal are plenty.
For example regard carefully all vaccines received and especially changes in head size before and after.
And of course crying, temperature changes, drugs taken as well.
Also possible lack of vitamins eg Vitamin C.
Thank you, John.
Unfortunately, this sounds similar to my case. My daughter was 4 months old at the time, Skull fracture and subdural hematomas, I have no idea what could have happened but we most certainly never did hurt our daughter in any way shape or form. Where could this have come from???
You should be organizing a march on Parliament to present your case.Get Lisa B to help, you.
Please continue to fight for those who have been unjustly accused.
Thank you for the support. It’s a tough arena.
I think you know how tough this is and how many people have suffered and continue to suffer. You have been a great support for B and we now have 71 days to go
My soon to be brother in law was just convicted of SBS and he is far from a child abuser! I am a nurse and believe me I know child abuse exist but he was convisted by jury and there was SO much doubt! We are looking around now trying to find experts and someone willing to appeal this case. This happened in Ga.
Hi Karen
Write to me at johnfryer at orange.fr
I have made a study of such cases and with others got the Witch Hunting reversed.
So far with very little comeback to those who perjure for tens of thousands for no or very little work.
If you look at one famous case where someone was convicted the experts couldn’t even get the colour of the child correct.
This doesn’t stop convictions but does show that while it is good to convict the guilty it is so much nicer to convict the innocent. (Quote of several eminent Judges).
Do you note that nearly all SBS cases revolve around children under 6 months and this is the time the child resembles a pin cushion at the “WELL” centres.
John – Is your email still working? I have a friend who was wrongly convicted. She’s near the end of her 10 year prison sentence. I’d love to chat with you about her false imprisonment.
Sue,
Looking forward to forthcoming notifications of your new additions to this welcome and intriguing blog!
Tammie
1999 was the year me and my husband were accussed. This devastates lives more than anyone could imagine. This is a Great Page! Please add me to your list!
Sue,
Bless you for all you are doing for those of us that were, are are, being falsely accused! People like you will make this injustice come to an end!
Add me to your list, please!
Kathy Hyatt
Sue,
So glad you’re doing this. Plesae add me to your notification list(s).
Thank you,
LuAnne
Good Luck on this new blog.
After the FALSE imprisonment of Sally Clark and Angela Cannings was brought home to the UK Government they have responded by LYING about investigating other MISCARRIAGES of justice and defend the medical, industrial world by prosecuting hundreds of possibly innocent parents and carers every year. At the moment they are still condemning around 250 such families EVERY year in England in SECRET courts.
One person who was badly treated was a MICHELLE DICKINSON who was given life in prison and to my knowledge has still been left to her fate.
Bringing up a child next to a nuclear plant is fraught with DANGER as seen this year at FUKUSHIMA.
But even though after Chernobyl the LYNCHING of Michelle got 17 awards to the police for their BIGGEST crime ever in the rural setting of a tiny village called SEASCALE. It never dawned on them that nuclear pollution does more than just cause LEUKEMIA. Sorry, they don’t even admit the obvious. No one ever dies if they work or live near nuclear facilities.
Hence the background to a terrible MISCARRIAGE of justice for this lady and loving mother.
In Japan we see the terrible health problems are of a wide and deadly nature.
With real abuse even a cynic like me can see the EVIL but for a lot of the time abuse is caused by the medical and industrial Big p’Harmers and not by those loving parents who take the blame for harm by others and even so harm by them is kept secret or delayed from getting to public knowledge.
They hide behind the fact that 100 per cent proof of vaccine harm or chemical harm is never possible while accepting zero percent proof of physical abuse as an open and shut case for the government prosecution teams.
In Fukushima, children are now bleeding (from nuclear rays) but this was and is taken as proof of child abuse in many if not all cases of falsely accused child battering.
Note: Michelle lived next door to SELLAFIELD.
Hi Sue,
Your blog is informative, factual and a compelling read. Thank you for taking the initiative. Best regards,
John
This is a good forum for your work, Sue!
I remember the Falcon, but this is not the place for that comment. Except to recall “Ford has a better idea!”.
Very well presented.
Should be helpful universally.
This will roll.
You Rock, Joe
Sue, I love your blog and that you continue to be most determined in helping to connect the dots in this tragic arena. You have given people your ears, your brains and a voice, and you are helping make people consider “a different” possible cause for what seems to be, and sadly often is, SBS. I will continue to follow your work here.
I like the emphasis on the Miscarriage of Justice.
The strong and laudable desire to protect children can unfortunately contribute to the effective lowering of the burden of proof and other legal protections that the accused are supposed to have in the US. The overconfidence and careerism of the medical profession in these cases certainly has helped wrongly convict innocent people.
SBS and other things I might be accused of make me reluctant to care for anyone else’s children.
Hola, Sue! From drippy San Francisco. You’re off and running — more responses on your first day than I rec’d (6 or 7 to 1). This might well be a very good route to go, because of the power of the Web in pulling up your site when anyone enters the phrase. Best of luck. In the meantime, I have nose to grindstone in SF, but will send an email shortly re: a visit to PA.
Fenton
Excited to follow this new blog – a unique subject that is worth considering. Never a good idea to only have one side of this kind of story – your perspective is refreshing and will no doubt be of benefit to many.
Dear Sue,
Good work.
Best regards,
Ed
Perseverance is everything. The history of medicine, and the history of our fine criminal justice system, afford many examples of dramatic reversal of previously well-established thinking. The tide is turning.
Jennifer
we said, thank you for sharing with us.l
Congratulations on your new blog, Sue! I am glad to see you publishing your research in this format. Best wishes for its continuing success!
Rosemary