Forensic Pathology of Child Death: Autopsy Results & Diagnoses

For the forensic pathologist, the investigations of sudden, unexpected death in children are some of the most demanding. These deaths are even more challenging when they involve neuropathological injury. This book, whose lead author is both a forensic pathologist and neuropathologist, is organized by body region (eg, neck, chest, head, abdomen), which offers a practical approach for the forensic pathologist. Detailed discussions of injuries and mechanisms of injury are intermixed with referenced studies that put our understanding of these injuries in proper context and elevate this work beyond the typical descriptive forensic pathology text. It is an academic, well-referenced work that also includes over 700 color images and numerous case studies. Not only will forensic pathologists and fellows find this valuable but given the well-written, concise discussions and descriptions, the nonmedical pediatric death investigator will also find it understandable and useful.

Forensic Pathology of Child Death is a comprehensive guide to the evaluation of the pediatric death in the context of forensic pathology. It covers just about every kind of injury, whether traumatic or accidental, one is likely to see in a medicolegal setting. Fatal, inflicted child abuse is fairly rare but is something every forensic pathologist is going to encounter in their career. A book like this will be especially helpful to those practitioners who don’t work in a large metropolitan area or in association with a children’s hospital, where many of these cases originate, and help in deciding whether they should refer the case to someone with more experience. This is especially true in those cases with subtle injuries. The case histories are a guide to the proper documentation of findings, which is as important as the diagnosis. The author’s recognition as an expert in pediatric trauma ensures it will be a much-used reference.

Forensic Pathology of Child Death is the definitive reference for evaluating childhood deaths. It will be useful for forensic pathologists, pediatricians, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors. The book has been written by Dr. Mary Case, an internationally recognized expert on forensic pathology
and child abuse. This text is liberally augmented with actual case studies and photographs. The book exhaustively covers all aspects of child death with an intensive emphasis on abusive head trauma. This book should be available to all professionals faced with making important decisions in the face of family tragedies.