Letter to the Editor
Implications of Occult Cranial Injuries for Perpetrator Identification in Cases of Alleged Abusive Head Trauma
Abstract
To the Editor:
After reading the recent article in the Southern Medical Journal, “Occult Cranial Injuries Found with Neuroimaging in Clinically Asymptomatic Young Children Due to Abusive Compared to Accidental Head Trauma” by Fickenscher et al1 and the accompanying editorial comments by Dr. Block2 and Drs. Waseem and Zipin,3 I agree that this article is significant. However, for me one major implication of this work was not addressed by the article or the accompanying commentaries – its impact on our understanding of the determination of the timing of injury. Given that these cases often lead to family court hearings and criminal prosecutions, it is vital to not only identify abuse, but to accurately identify the perpetrator of abuse.
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