Incidence of Inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury in Infants

Comments on the article by H. T. Keenan et al (see record 2003-99817-003 ), in which they collected data from 9 hospitals in North Carolina to derive population-based estimates and demographics of inflicted traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children aged 2 years or younger in the US. Miller contends that the criteria used to make the diagnosis of inflicted TBI were vague and subjective. Inflicted TBI was diagnosed either if there was a confession or if review by a medical and child protective team deemed that the case was child abuse. However, Keenan et al did not describe how many of their 80 cases of inflicted TBI were based on which of these 2 criteria. Furthermore, they did not describe the background or expertise of the protective teams.