(TX.) ET COURTS STRUGGLE WITH WHAT TO DO WHEN CAREGIVERS SHAKE KIDS VIOLENTLY

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August 23, 2003


ET COURTS STRUGGLE WITH WHAT TO DO
WHEN CAREGIVERS SHAKE KIDS VIOLENTLY

By: CASEY KNAUPP, Staff Writer

Copyright © 2001 T.B. Butler Publishing Company, Inc.

http://tinyurl.com/l0lj

--
Dennis Deakin
State Director:Illinois
CPSWatch, Inc.
http://www.cpswatch.com/il

[Greg Hanson]

Dan, It looks like another area CPS operates under a myth.
----------------------------------------------------------
"You can't shake a baby hard enough to injure its brain unless you
break the neck first," pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ronald Uscinski
said. "And none of these babies have broken necks."

Uscinski is a clinical professor of surgery at Georgetown University
Medical Center and a clinical assistant professor of neurosurgery at
Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. He testified for
the defense in the SBS trial in Henderson County and has testified
against SBS about 30 times in the past six years.

Uscinski said he applied physical laws in his studies of injured
babies. He said researchers in the early 1970s misunderstood a
research paper and referenced it as a biomechanical justification for
shaking.

"These individuals who identified or thought they identified SBS used
this one person's work," Uscinski said. "Having read his paper, it's
pretty clear they misunderstood him. But people got excited and
started publishing the reports."

He claims a 1987 study proved shaking couldn't injure a baby's brain.

"If the baby was slammed into something or dropped, he could suffer
brain injuries," Uscinski said. "But (some cases) have no evidence of
impact. So they got caught in a little conundrum."

He urges caution in the courtroom.

"No one would deny that they want to protect children, but when
prosecutors are prosecuting someone for shaken baby syndrome, they
need to be sure science supports it," Uscinski said. "If they don't,
they could falsely convict someone."

[Dan Sullivan]

"Greg Hanson" > wrote in message
om...
>
> Dan, It looks like another area CPS operates under a myth.

So gather all the facts.

And post em here.

That is what you're planning to do, isn't it?

Then Kane can email all the info to every CPS is the USA.

Dan

[bobb]

Well now, I hate to be an "I told you so" but I posted a similar report last
year sometime when this issue was being debated.

The brain in a baby's head is heavily protected and cannot be injured except
by some severe impact. I've suggested that we don't know the entire
stories... and resultant injuries may not be just from shaking the baby but
perhaps tossing the baby across the room, onto the bed, etc.

Not sure who's gonna admit to doing something so horrible... but it seems
some doctors are a bit off base keying in on the SBS.

bobb