Silenced Angels: The Medical, Legal, and Social Aspects of Shaken Baby Syndrome

(Hardback)

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Silenced Angels: The Medical, Legal and Social Aspects of Shaken Baby Syndrome delves into the realms of child abuse that has never been explored before in such detail. The book examines how the physical assault of violent shaking on a young body can lead to a lifetime of despair or even death. Every important detail of this tragic form of child abuse is analyzed, providing the reader a more definitive understanding of the condition known as SBS. This is the first book written exclusively about SBS, which is 100% preventable. SBS cases can be frequently misdiagnosed and are more frequently under-investigated and poorly prosecuted, leading to a sense of injustice among families and child abuse prevention advocates. The author breaks through the barriers of miscomprehension, misdiagnosis, and misrepresentation that typically lead to further tragedy and injustice in SBS-related cases. Advocates for child abuse prevention will gain greater information about SBS to further their cause of establishing hospital and community-based prevention and education programs. Parents and family members of SBS victims will find this book indispensable when seeking medical and legal assistance with their cases.

Reviews

"Many doctors do not have much more knowledge about shaken baby syndrome than the well-read layperson. Occasionally they make erroneous statements or fail to appreciate what is in front of them. Thus doctors, other professionals, and the general public have much to learn about this serious public health threat to children. This book is an excellent attempt to remedy this lack of knowledge. In reading the book for the first time, I was also impressed by some of the historical details of which I was unaware. Having lectured around the U.S. and internationally about shaken baby syndrome, I thought I was on top of nearly all these details. Jim Peinkofer showed me that we all have more to learn. Perhaps more important than the history of the syndrome or the detailed medical concepts, is the human side to this terrible form of abuse. It is important that we learn from stories of shaken children to keep us centered on what it all means and why we care."-Randell Alexander M.D., Ph.D. (from the Foreword) Director, Center for Child Abuse M rehouse School of Medicine
The book is well written and very readable, with chapter endnotes, glossary, list of resources on child abuse and SBS, and tables and pictures to illustrate the physical aspects. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals.-Choice
This book does a superb job of orienting the reader about important aspects of a preventable, but until recently, largely ignored, public health problem. It is essential for anyone interested in the shaken-baby syndrome--from physicians to students to public health professionals. It is largely free of medical jargon ... so the general reader should be able to understand it. Peinkofer has done a masterly job of clearing up misconceptions about the shaken-baby syndrome. This book will be a cornerstone of the field and will be widely sited for years to come.-New England Journal of Medicine
"The book is well written and very readable, with chapter endnotes, glossary, list of resources on child abuse and SBS, and tables and pictures to illustrate the physical aspects. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals."-Choice
"This book does a superb job of orienting the reader about important aspects of a preventable, but until recently, largely ignored, public health problem. It is essential for anyone interested in the shaken-baby syndrome--from physicians to students to public health professionals. It is largely free of medical jargon ... so the general reader should be able to understand it. Peinkofer has done a masterly job of clearing up misconceptions about the shaken-baby syndrome. This book will be a cornerstone of the field and will be widely sited for years to come."-New England Journal of Medicine

Author Bio

JAMES R. PEINKOFER is a licensed clinical social worker on the pediatric unit at a midwestern hospital./e He has trained hundreds of professionals across the country about all aspects of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and has consulted on SBS-related cases with law enforcement professionals and prosecuting attorneys in a variety of states. He has his own health care consultation agency specializing in SBS prevention and education.