RT Journal
A1 Albert DM, Blanchard J, Knox BL
T1 ENsuring appropriate expert testimony for cases involving the “shaken baby”
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD July 4
VO 308
IS 1
SP 39
OP 40
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.6763
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.6763
AB 
For the past 50 years, the “shaken baby” syndrome has been one of the many terms used to describe a form of abusive head trauma in children. The term now preferred is pediatric abusive head trauma (AHT), which is defined as “an injury to the skull or intracranial contents of an infant or young child (<5 years of age) due to inflicted blunt impact and/or violent shaking.”1- 2 This new term reflects the fundamental construct that certain forms of head trauma are intentionally inflicted. The incidence is estimated to be 20 to 30 cases per 100 000 children younger than 1 year, and the case-fatality rate exceeds 20%.1 Abusive head trauma causes significant disability for about two-thirds of survivors1 and also results in major health care costs.