Medicolegal Issues of Battered Baby Syndrome

Abstract

Battered baby (child) syndrome has been recognized for nearly half a century and is defined as repeated non-accidental trauma of various ages. In medicolegal death investigations, it is often avoided, due to its alleged controversy, or more accurately, due to the challenges it presents in court. In this chapter, we discuss some of the medicolegal issues of a battered baby syndrome diagnosis for the cause of death and the legal issues surrounding the prosecution and defense in these types of cases. A case example involving a 5-month-old infant is presented. Additionally, the importance and challenges in timing fractures and using skeletal trauma as evidence of abuse are discussed. Finally, this case is contextualized among infant and child homicides and recommendations for best practices are outlined.