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Prosecution of parents over baby’s death raises controversy over diagnosing child abuse

BMJ 2012; 344 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e2932 (Published 23 April 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e2932

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Re: Prosecution of parents over baby’s death raises controversy over diagnosing child abuse

Editor,
"Manifestation in the bones was “effectively outside the clinical experience of any of the medical witnesses,” the judge said.

She called for research “in relation to the different aspects of the triad and the impact of vitamin D deficiency and rickets on babies under 6 months.”

The research the learned Judge calls for has already been done [1-3] and the conclusion is the so called "triad" is a Metabolic Disorder involvimg the Vitamins C,K and D and other essential nutrients such as Calcium and Potassium.

References;
1. Kalokerinos A. Every Second Child. Keats Publishing Inc New Canaan Connecticut.

2. Clemetson CAB Is it "Shaken Baby" or Barlow's Disease Variant. Jour P&S 2004;78-80.

3. Innis MD Vitamin K Deficiency Disease Jour Orthomol Med 2008; 23:15-20

Competing interests: I have given Expert testimony for the Defence in such cases and I have been paid for my services.

02 May 2012
Michael D Innis
Retired Haematologist
NA
1 White Dove Court Wurtulla Qld Australia 4575