Investigating Infant Deaths

Many forensic pathologists and death investigators would agree that historically, infant deaths have been poorly investigated. This volume is an in-depth guide featuring 40 case examples that illustrate real-life scenarios in which recommended techniques are put into action. It explains approaches for interviewing grieving parents, performing an initial post-mortem exam, searching for evidence at the incident scene, and adhering to the goals of state and local child fatality teams. It also presents suggestions for using doll re-enactments to interview surviving caregivers and witnesses, along with more than 40 pictures of scenes and unsafe environments.

?In this book, B. O?Neal, a registered nurse and board certified medicolegal death investigator with the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, gives an extensive overview on the investigation of infant deaths including epidemiological background, the significance of the emergency helpers, the initial post-mortem external assessment, the death scene investigation, the parental interview, the forensic autopsy, the analysis of the medical history, the case conference and the family or caregiver follow-up.
?The book shows that the author has an extended knowledge in this field and, moreover, a long-standing experience in doing such investigations. The book integrates different resources, refers the situation in the US, and reflects the relevant literature in this field. It is an excellent guideline for performing death investigations in infants. Besides the general overview, a number of special problems/tasks are discussed in great detail and always from a practical point of view. However, good experiences from outside the US, for example from projects in Australia or Norway, are not referred.
?In summary, the book gives an excellent overview on all the relevant questions and problems in relation to the investigation of infant deaths and can be used as guideline for practical casework. It can be recommended without any limitation for specialists in legal medicine and specialists from other fields involved in the investigation of these deaths. ?
? T. Bajanowski,  Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, in the International Journal of Legal Medicine (2008) 122:267

"Anyone who participates in the investigation of infant death, or who may find themselves involved in infant medical resuscitation attempts, will find conceptual and practical guidance for what is often a daunting task."

?Jennifer R. Schindell, Deputy Medical Examiner / Forensic Nurse, Linn and Benton Counties, Corvallis, Oregon, writing in Journal of the International Association of Forensic Nurses