POST:"Witnessed Baby Shakings - Shaken Baby Syndrome," by Phil Locke, published on the Wrongful Convictions Blog on December 28, 2012. (Phil Locke is "Science and Technology Adviser," at the Ohio Innocence Project.)
GIST: "Let me conclude with a Special Editorial Note to those of you blog readers who are still staunch advocates of the “SBS triad” and “no lucid interval” theories. Nobody ever said that there aren’t people who abuse their children or inflict abusive head trauma. And nobody ever said that abusive head trauma cannot produce “triad” symptoms in an infant. But anybody who has made an honest and objective study of the full spectrum of research done in these areas understands that to consider “triad” symptoms as exclusively indicative of abusive head trauma is both scientifically incorrect and ethically wrong. There are other things that can cause “triad” symptoms, and “lucid interval” does exist. And nobody ever said that those who abuse their children, and sometimes even kill them, should not bear the full weight of the consequences; but there are way too may truly loving caregivers who have not only lost a baby but have also been put in prison, because the infant presented with “triad” symptoms that were caused by something other than abusive head trauma. “Confirmation bias” is a terrible thing, because it can prevent us from seeing the truth in a situation. I just ask that you open up your minds, and consider information, evidence, and data that may not conform to your preconception of the way things are. Once again, the actually guilty should bear the consequences, but could we please stop putting innocent people in prison because of blind, dogged reliance on a diagnostic that is demonstrably not universally applicable?"
This "special editorial note" can be found on the Wrongful Convictions Blog at:
http://wrongfulconvictionsblog.org/2012/12/28/witnessed-baby-shakings-shaken-baby-syndrome/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.
Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
