Forensic Pathology of Infancy and Childhood

1302 Pages·2014·47.3 MB·English

by  Kim A. Collins

Forensic Pathology
of Infancy
and Childhood
Kim A. Collins · Roger W. Byard
Editors
1 3
Reference
Forensic Pathology of Infancy
and Childhood

Kim A. Collins (cid:129) Roger W. Byard
Editors
Forensic Pathology of
Infancy and Childhood
With686Figuresand123Tables
Editors
KimA.Collins
FultonCountyMedicalExaminer’sOffice
EmoryUniversitySchoolofMedicine
Atlanta,GA,USA
RogerW.Byard
TheUniversityofAdelaide
Adelaide,SouthAustralia,Australia
ISBN978-1-61779-402-5 ISBN978-1-61779-403-2(eBook)
ISBN978-1-61779-404-9(Printandelectronicbundle)
DOI10.1007/978-1-61779-403-2
SpringerNewYorkHeidelbergDordrechtLondon
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2013953866
#SpringerScience+BusinessMediaNewYork2014
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To David and Dontrell
Kim A. Collins
To Rene´e and Lucy
Roger W. Byard

Preface
The field of pediatric forensic pathology and medicine has been repeatedly
discussed and evaluated in recent years with a number of concerns being raised
about the quality of opinions and diagnoses. Although it is easy to define, as the
study of injury and disease in children and how this applies to the law, problems
havearisenindetermininghowitshouldbetaught,certified,andpracticed.Studies
and commentaries that have evaluated the quality of autopsy investigations of
childhooddeathshaveoftenidentifiedinadequaciesandomissions.
These deficits have been dealt with to some extent by the development of
international protocols and codes of practice. However, as the number of cases
beinghandledbyindividualinstitutionsmaybelow,full-timespecializedpediatric
forensic pathologists may not be employed, leaving other pathologists to take on
responsibilityforthesecases.Unfortunately,itisnotalwaysappropriatetoextrap-
olatefromadulttopediatricpractice,asanunderstandingoftheeffectsofnormal
growth and development are required, in addition to knowledge of the range of
sometimesveryraredisordersthatmaymanifestintheyoung,andanawarenessof
the type of ancillary testing that is required. The ability to then synthesize and
interprettheseresultsisavitalpartofpediatricforensicpractice.Allofthisisnot
helpedbythefactthatourunderstandingofanumberofchildhoodentitiesisstill
inevolution.
Itwasagainstthisbackgroundthatadecisionwastakentoprovideastate-of-the-
art text that would cover many facets of the forensic pathology of infancy and
childhood,withcontributionsfromexpertsfromawidevarietyofbackgroundsand
number of different countries. As the reader will see, the following chapters
concentrateoninflictedandaccidentaltraumaintheyounginadditiontocovering
theveryvariablemanifestationsofnaturalconditionsresultinginunexpecteddeath
from in utero life through to adolescence. The pathological diagnosis of pediatric
conditionsis discussed insome detail with additional chaptersdealingwith scene
examinations, the biomechanics of injury, toxicological issues, ancillary testing,
deathcertification,andexpertevidence.
Given the very eclectic and dynamic nature of many areas within pediatric
forensic practice, the authors fully realize that not every topic will have been
covered.Inadditionsomeauthorsmayhavepresentedinterpretationsandopinions
that not all readers will agree with. This is, however, the very foundation of
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academicdebatethatissoimportantintheadvancementofknowledge.Itishoped,
therefore, that both general and specialist readers will find something of use
between the covers of these two volumes that will enhance their daily practice
andsoimprovethequalityofthecareofourchildren.
KimA.Collins
Atlanta,GA,USA
RogerW.Byard
Adelaide,SouthAustralia,Australia
Editors
Kim A. Collins Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office, Emory University
SchoolofMedicine,Atlanta,GA,USA
Kim A. Collins, MD, is a forensic pathologist at the Fulton County Medical
Examiner’s Office, Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia,
USA, and is Medical Director at LifePoint Organ and Tissue Donation Services
for South Carolina. She serves on editorial boards of national and international
peer-reviewedjournalsandisasectioneditorforthepathologytextofe-Medicine.
Shehasresearchedandpublishedmanuscripts,bookchapters,andtextsintheareas
ofautopsyandforensicpathologywithaspecialconcentrationinpediatricforensic
pathology.
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