Home / Crime and Justice / NJ Court Rejects Shaken Baby Syndrome Diagnosis
NJ Court Rejects Shaken Baby Syndrome Diagnosis
21 Nov
Summary
- New Jersey's top court ruled against presenting expert testimony on Shaken Baby Syndrome.
- The court cited unreliable science and lack of consensus from relevant communities.
- This ruling could impact thousands of child abuse cases nationwide.
New Jersey's highest court has ruled that prosecutors can no longer present expert testimony asserting that shaking a baby can, on its own, cause injuries severe enough to warrant child abuse charges. This landmark decision marks the first time a U.S. court has taken such a stance on the diagnosis commonly known as "Shaken Baby Syndrome" or Abusive Head Trauma.
The court's 6-1 decision highlighted concerns over the scientific reliability of the diagnosis, noting a lack of consensus among relevant scientific and engineering communities. While pediatricians and neurologists support the syndrome's diagnosis, the court found insufficient evidence from biomechanical engineering to definitively link shaking alone to such injuries.
This ruling stems from two cases involving fathers accused of abusing their infants. While the science behind Shaken Baby Syndrome has been a basis for thousands of cases since the 1970s, recent research has questioned its established links to injuries. The court indicated that other evidence of abuse could still be presented, and the door remains open if scientific consensus evolves.
