STORY: "Defence debunks shaken baby syndrome in Tacoma trial, by reporter Tim Haeck, published by My Northwest, on October 13, 2014.
SUB-HEADING: "Defense in Pierce County assault trial claims shaken baby syndrome "bogus."
GIST: "Not long after a 4-month-old boy came into the emergency room at a Tacoma hospital, doctors were sure his head injuries were the result of abuse. It happens all the time. The baby wouldn't stop crying. The father was arrested and put on trial. But also on trial is the diagnosis itself. When doctors examined the baby in April 2013, they found a familiar triad of symptoms; retinal hemorrhage (bleeding in the eyes), subdural hematoma (blood on the brain) and cerebral edema (excess fluid on the brain.) When Jeremy Yerger was arrested, police say the father gave a conflicting statement, first admitting then denying he shook his infant son, adding, "I'm sure I did something to hurt him." One doctor told police it was a classic case of "shaken baby syndrome.".........An expert in pediatric neuro-radiology testified for the defense last week in Yerger's assault trial at the Pierce County Courthouse. "It is inconclusive -- whatever research model is used, that shaking can cause any component of the triad without impact unless the weak link is injured," said Dr. Patrick Barnes with Stanford Medical Center. "And the weak link is the baby's neck.".........On the witness stand, Stanford's Barnes testified for the defense that there are what he called "mimics" to injury attributed to abuse. "In other words, other conditions that are not abuse that can look like abuse." Some critics of shaken baby syndrome claim that accidental falls can mimic abuse. "Even the child abuse literature recognizes that many of these conditions can be accidental," added Barnes.........On the witness stand in Tacoma, Dr. Barnes reviewed CT scans and MRIs, revealing possible fractures of the injured baby's skull. "Trying to date these fractures (is) really difficult. Could it be older? Yes. Could it possibly date back to birth? Yes." Dr. Barnes told the Tacoma jury that the child, in this case, was likely injured in the birth process.".........A court order prevents Yerger, 37, from seeing his son. The military veteran is charged with first degree child assault. A jury will decide if this is a case of shaken baby or "junk science."
The entire story can be found at:
http://mynorthwest.com/11/2621506/Defense-debunks-shaken-baby-syndrome-in-Tacoma-trial
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
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.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
I look forward to hearing from readers at:
hlevy15@gmail.com.
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;
