PulseExploreJournal ClubDebatesTrendingResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeExploreJournal ClubTrending
Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
March 3, 2026Forensic Science International Synergy0 citationsOpen Access

Spread of “triad diagnostics” in suspected Shaken Baby Syndrome

View Full Paper
AEAnders ErikssonTSTeresa Stachowicz‐StencelKWKNUT WESTER

Key Points

  • Triad findings may not indicate violent shaking, suggesting alternative causes like benign external hydrocephalus.
  • In case #1, a 7-week-old girl showed rebleeding in birth-related subdural hemorrhage, complicating diagnosis.
  • Observational analysis of two cases in Poland reveals challenges in validating the shaken baby syndrome hypothesis.
  • Belief in triad findings implies significant legal and treatment consequences, emphasizing the need for accurate diagnostics.

Abstract

We describe here possibly the first two cases of alleged Shaken Baby Syndome (SBS) in Poland, based solely on "triad findings" (encephalopathy symptoms, subdural hemorrhage/SDH, and retinal hemorrhages/RH), but without signs of relevant trauma. Case #1, a 7-week-old infant girl, is suggested to represent a case of rebleeding in a birth-related SDH. In case #2, a 13-week-old infant boy, we claim that the triad findings were related to benign external hydrocephalus (BEH). Unjustified belief that triad findings are always caused by violent shaking may, apart from the obvious legal and social effects, in case #2 also have contributed to delayed adequate treatment of increased intracranial pressure and subsequent signs of permanent brain damage. We discuss also the traditional SBS hypothesis and its lack of solid scientific evidence, and the uneven geographical acceptance of and belief in this unvalidated hypothesis.

Ask AI
Helpful
Bookmark
Share
View Full Paper

Cite This Study

Eriksson et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a75e95c6e9836116a29561https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsisyn.2026.100660
Ask AI
Helpful
Bookmark
Share
View Full Paper