Pathologists Meet To Discuss Shaken Baby Syndrome
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Report of pathologists’ meeting
The Royal College of Pathologists is aware of major differences of opinion between different pathologists in interpreting postmortem findings in cases of suspected non-accidental injury in children (so called shaken baby syndrome). For this reason it organised a meeting on this subject in December 2009, which the pathologists mentioned by Dyer attended.1 The report of the meeting, setting out areas of agreement and disagreement, with the text agreed by all who attended the meeting, is available on the royal college’s website (www.rcpath.org).
One of the report’s main conclusions is to highlight the need for more research in this area. However, since 2006, under the Human Tissue Act 2004, any research that uses the postmortem tissues of a child has been unlawful unless a parent gives consent for it. In the current context, this often means obtaining the consent of a person who has been charged with (or convicted …
Peter Furness, president1
1 Royal College of Pathologists, London SW1Y 5AF
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