Cerebral traumatism with a playground rocking toy mimicking shaken baby syndrome.
Shaken baby syndrome (SBS), one of the most deadly and devastating forms of child abuse, is caused by violent shaking. The combination of subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, brain swelling, and diffuse axonal injury is highly typical of this syndrome and faced with these autopsy findings, induced traumatic lesions are strongly considered. However, it is known that motor-vehicle accidents and falls from great height can also produce this pattern of injury. Nevertheless, stories of arms fall, couch fall, or bumped head while the baby is being carried are generally considered incompatible with SBS. We here report a case of a 2-year-old boy presenting with all the classic autopsy findings of SBS from a playground rocking toy shaken by an older child.
Sauvageau
Anny
A
Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale, Edifice Wilfrid-Derome, Montreal, QC, Canada. a.sauvageau@msp.gouv.qc.ca
Bourgault
André
A
Racette
Stéphanie
S
D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008578:Meninges / Q000473:pathology; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000293:injuries*; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology; D038642:Shaken Baby Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology