shaking and other non-accidental head injuries in children. edited by r. a. minns and j. k. brown....

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SHAKING AND OTHER NON-AC- CIDENTAL HEAD INJURIES IN CHILDREN. Edited by R. A. Minns and J. K. Brown. Mac Keith Press, London, 2005. pp. 528. Price: £95.00, $175.95, h128.30. ISBN 1898683352. Unlike previous books on this topic, which have relied heavily on the input of child abuse experts, this book is edited and substantially authored by two paediatric neurologists, and this brings a refreshingly different ap- proach, to give just one example a new classification of cases according to their clinical presentation. The book starts with an outstanding 105 page carefully referenced neurological perspective and overview. Chapters on bio- mechanics and epidemiology are fol- lowed by a section that presents original and largely unpublished ori- ginal data on 129 cases included in the Scottish non-accidental head injury database. The chapter on haemor- rhagic retinopathy is most helpfully illustrated with a series of excellent colour photographs, thanks to the in- put of Parsons, one of the established world authorities on eye pathology in childhood trauma. The well-illustrated chapter and clear exposition on neu- roimaging come from Jaspan, primus inter pares among paediatric neuror- adiologists in the UK, followed by se- parate chapters on magnetic resonance and skeletal imaging. A chapter on mechanisms and management comes from J. Punt, a paediatric neuro- surgeon with a particular interest in head injury, and this helpfully ad- dresses likely as well as less likely mechanisms. Excellent and useful re- views on the non-surgical manage- ment, the neuropathology, and the prognosis and outcome are followed by short chapters on child protection and the prevention of abuse, police procedure, legal aspects, and a social work perspective. Finally there is a helpful glossary of terms prepared by N. Punt. Rather than merely regurgitating and digesting available data, this book offers a great deal of new data and new insights to a very difficult area. The labelling of non-accidental head injury poses a real problem, and this is re- flected by the different names that ap- pear in this book. My personal view is that the label ‘shaken baby syndrome’ is particularly unhelpful, and leads to endless and generally sterile debates about the relative importance of shak- ing versus impact, so I was sorry to see that a few chapter authors had used this term. I hope that there will be a further edition of this invaluable and in many ways definitive (512 pages) textbook, the authors taking the op- portunity to introduce a uniform ter- minology and maybe trade in some of the social topics for new chapters on injuries occurring at birth and their possible relevance, and an analysis of the various alternative (sometimes al- most extra-terrestrial) theories that are sprouting up like weeds in the garden. The medical science that underpins these types of injuries is undoubtedly complex, and this means that those involved in such cases have to grapple with a number of difficult concepts. Whilst a medical reader will have an obvious advantage, the text is pre- sented in an unusually clear and con- cise manner, and most of the book’s contents should be readily compre- hensible to the non-medical reader, who will be greatly helped by the high standard of illustrations throughout the book. Tim David Division of Human Development, University of Manchester, Booth Hall Children’s Hospital, Manchester, UK DOI: 10.1002/icd.588 Book Reviews 101 Copyright r 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Inf. Child. Dev. 18: 95–104 (2009)

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Page 1: Shaking and other non-accidental head injuries in children. Edited by R. A. Minns and J. K. Brown. Mac Keith Press, London, 2005. pp. 528. Price: £95.00, $175.95, €128.30. ISBN

SHAKING AND OTHER NON-AC-CIDENTAL HEAD INJURIES INCHILDREN. Edited by R. A. Minnsand J. K. Brown. Mac Keith Press,London, 2005. pp. 528. Price: £95.00,$175.95, h128.30. ISBN 1898683352.

Unlike previous books on this topic,which have relied heavily on the inputof child abuse experts, this book isedited and substantially authored bytwo paediatric neurologists, and thisbrings a refreshingly different ap-proach, to give just one example a newclassification of cases according to theirclinical presentation. The book startswith an outstanding 105 page carefullyreferenced neurological perspectiveand overview. Chapters on bio-mechanics and epidemiology are fol-lowed by a section that presentsoriginal and largely unpublished ori-ginal data on 129 cases included in theScottish non-accidental head injurydatabase. The chapter on haemor-rhagic retinopathy is most helpfullyillustrated with a series of excellentcolour photographs, thanks to the in-put of Parsons, one of the establishedworld authorities on eye pathology inchildhood trauma. The well-illustratedchapter and clear exposition on neu-roimaging come from Jaspan, primusinter pares among paediatric neuror-adiologists in the UK, followed by se-parate chapters on magnetic resonanceand skeletal imaging. A chapter onmechanisms and management comesfrom J. Punt, a paediatric neuro-surgeon with a particular interest inhead injury, and this helpfully ad-dresses likely as well as less likelymechanisms. Excellent and useful re-views on the non-surgical manage-ment, the neuropathology, and theprognosis and outcome are followedby short chapters on child protectionand the prevention of abuse, policeprocedure, legal aspects, and a socialwork perspective. Finally there is a

helpful glossary of terms prepared byN. Punt.

Rather than merely regurgitatingand digesting available data, this bookoffers a great deal of new data and newinsights to a very difficult area. Thelabelling of non-accidental head injuryposes a real problem, and this is re-flected by the different names that ap-pear in this book. My personal view isthat the label ‘shaken baby syndrome’is particularly unhelpful, and leads toendless and generally sterile debatesabout the relative importance of shak-ing versus impact, so I was sorry to seethat a few chapter authors had usedthis term. I hope that there will be afurther edition of this invaluable andin many ways definitive (512 pages)textbook, the authors taking the op-portunity to introduce a uniform ter-minology and maybe trade in some ofthe social topics for new chapters oninjuries occurring at birth and theirpossible relevance, and an analysis ofthe various alternative (sometimes al-most extra-terrestrial) theories that aresprouting up like weeds in the garden.

The medical science that underpinsthese types of injuries is undoubtedlycomplex, and this means that thoseinvolved in such cases have to grapplewith a number of difficult concepts.Whilst a medical reader will have anobvious advantage, the text is pre-sented in an unusually clear and con-cise manner, and most of the book’scontents should be readily compre-hensible to the non-medical reader,who will be greatly helped by the highstandard of illustrations throughoutthe book.

Tim DavidDivision of Human Development,

University of Manchester,Booth Hall Children’s Hospital,

Manchester, UK

DOI: 10.1002/icd.588

Book Reviews 101

Copyright r 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Inf. Child. Dev. 18: 95–104 (2009)