SIDS: Nap Nanny infant recliner recalled after five baby deaths, 70 injuries

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THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION/APThis undated image provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission shows the Nap Nanny, made by Baby Matters LLC of Berwyn PA.

Lesley Ciarula Taylor
Staff Reporter 

Parents in Canada and the United States are being warned to stop using all models of Nap Nanny baby recliners after five infant deaths and dozens of injuries.

More than 155,000 recliners in three models have been sold since 2009. The manufacturer, Baby Matters, LLC, went out of business earlier this month.

Four major retailers have agreed to pull the remaining recliners off store shelves, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.

Health Canada said it has had no reports of injuries from the recliner in Canada.

The recall covers Nap Nanny Generations One and Two, and the Chill model infant recliners, the CPSC said.

The first generation of the recliner had been recalled in Canada and the U.S. in July, 2010 after the death of a 4-month-old girl in Michigan and 22 reports of injuries.

A new version with new instructions came out shortly afterward but failed to stop the problems.

“The Nap Nanny contains defects in its design, warnings and instructions. The agency said the product poses a substantial risk of injury and death to infants,” the CPSC warning said.

The device, a foam curved base with a harness, was invented by former U.S. sportscaster Leslie Gudel in 2009 to provide a comfortable 30-degree sleeping angle for babies that was similar to a car seat.

“The loss of an infant is an unthinkable tragedy, and I am truly heartbroken for the families who have lost a child,” Gudel said in a statement on the product website.

“But the fact that infants have died ‘while using’ the Nap Nanny improperly, such as when used in a crib where the child could suffocate on a crib bumper or a blanket, does not mean our product caused the child’s death or is hazardous.”

She blamed the CPSC complaint for putting her company out of business.

The CPSC has received more than 70 incident reports of children getting trapped by or nearly falling out of the recliners, the agency said. Three CPSC commissioners voted unanimously to file a complaint against Baby Matters when the company failed to come up with an adequate recall plan.

The four retailers — Amazon.com, Buy Buy Baby, Diapers.com and Toys R Us/Babies R Us — agreed voluntarily to pull the product, the agency said.

SBS: Drayton Witt exonerated

AZ Justice Project Frees Innocent Man in Shaken Baby Case

by AUDREY MCGINN on Nov 14, 2012 

We send a huge congratulations to the Arizona Justice Project for their latest exoneration of Drayton Witt.  In 2002, Drayton was convicted of the second degree murder of his 4-month-old son, Steven, by shaking him to death.  Drayton was convicted by expert witnesses who relied on supposed Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).  The experts at trial concluded Steven had the “SBS triad” of symptoms which are a subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhages, and cerebral edema, to show that Drayton must have shaken his son to death because the “SBS triad” symptoms are often noted by doctors when examining children who have been abused.

However, witnesses failed to take into account that the baby was born with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck, had aspirated meconium (fecal matter), and was in respiratory distress.  After birth, Steven even suffered from pneumonia and seizures.  With Steven’s many medical problems, he was constantly going to the doctor and often taken to the hospital because his eyes would lose focus, he would vomit often, and he had reoccurring fevers. Steven was never a healthy baby.  Even with his numerous medical problems, Steven never had any cuts, bruises, fractures, dislocations, or spinal cord injuries.  Irrespective of his obviously complex medical history, Drayton was still convicted of killing Steven because he was the only adult with him at the time of seizure that ultimately caused his death.  Drayton was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Drayton served 10 of his 20 year sentence in prison until The Arizona Justice Project exonerated Drayton by using the most recent research on SBS.  They contacted A.J. Mosley, the medical examiner who testified in Witt’s 2002 trial.   Mosley recanted his trial testimony by saying, “There is now no longer consensus in the medical community that the findings I reported in my autopsy report are reliable proof of SBS [shaken baby syndrome] or child abuse . . .Steven had a complicated medical history, including unexplained neurological problems. He had no outward signs of abuse. If I were to testify today, I would state that I believe Steven’s death was likely the result of a natural disease process, not SBS.”

As I have written before, the research surrounding the “triad” of SBS symptoms has received much criticism in recent years.  Even though these symptoms may exist, the entire medical history must be taken into account when determining whether the death was from natural causes or a homicide.  Drayton Witt always claimed he loved and would have never have hurt his son.  The Arizona court agreed Drayton did not cause his son’s death when the case was dismissed with prejudice.  “With prejudice” means the state can never bring charges against him related to the We applaud the efforts of the Arizona Justice Project and the ability of the Arizona court to recognize an injustice when it occurs.  We continue to be hopeful this new research will allow similar cases to be analyzed by the courts to determine whether this flawed testimony convicted other innocent men and women.

SBS: Florida: Summer Albritton babysitter charged

Reported by: Amanda Warford

Email: awarford@ActionNewsJax.com

Published: 11/19 10:24 pm

LAKE CITY, Fla. -- Carly Cason will be 3 months old Tuesday, but the little girl has already proven she's a survivor. On Monday, her parents held Carly close, as Lake City gathered at Olustee Park to see her.
On November 6, Carrie and Matt Cason rushed their daughter to the hospital, where Carly was diagnosed with bleeding in her brain.
"At first they had lots of bad, bad news for us," said Carrie, "and they told us there was permanent brain damage. They told us that she could not see due to bilateral hemmoraging in both retinas, and her ligaments were torn in her neck."
They are injuries, police say, that occured while 19-year-old Summer Albritton was babysitting. The Casons tell Action News that Albritton has been their babysitter for almost a year, has cared for all three of their children, and until she was arrested for cruelty toward a child three days after the injury, they still believed it was an accident.
But doctors say Carly is a victim of shaken baby syndrome, and her recovery has been nothing short of a miracle.
"She may suffer learning damages or mobility or vision, but then as they see her improving they add that she's resilient, she's a baby, and she has every chance to be normal."
With friends and strangers circled around them Monday, the Casons thanked God their daughter is still alive, and prayed Carly's life will continue to inspire an entire community.
"I know that God has big things in mind for this little girl," said Matt with tears, "and if it was just one person that this was supposed to reach and change their life, then it was worth it."
The Casons say Carly is better, but still recovering. Over the next month she has six appointments scheduled with various specialists, and it could be years before the extent of her injuries are known.
The state attorney's office tells Action News that Summer Albritton could face formal charges soon, and her next court date has not been set as a result.

SBS: Kyle Hinkle trial

Kyle Hinkle in his Bucks County prison mug shot

Posted: Thursday, December 20, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 2:25 pm, Thu Dec 20, 2012.

By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer

Posted on December 20, 2012

• 
  by Jo Ciavaglia

What happened to their 3-month-old son?

Stacey Hinkle confronted her husband, Kyle, with that question in October after their son was admitted to the hospital following an apparent seizure. The doctors needed to know so they could properly treat him, she told him.

In a Bensalem courtroom Wednesday, Stacey Hinkle testified that her husband, his eyes red and puffy from crying, confessed.

Their son would not stop crying, he allegedly told her. He got frustrated and shook the baby up and down for two or three seconds, she said, demonstrating the move with her hands.

Stacey Hinkle was one of two witnesses who testified Wednesday at the preliminary hearing for Kyle Hinkle, 25, of Virginia Avenue, who is accused of violently shaking his son, resulting in a brain injury.

Following the brief hearing, Bensalem District Judge Leonard Brown held Hinkle for trial on charges of aggravated and simple assault and endangering the welfare of a child, rejecting his public defender’s argument that a few seconds of shaking could not inflict such serious injuries. He is free after posting 10 percent of his $50,000 bail.

Stacey Hinkle testified that she was taking her nephew to a job interview around 10 a.m. on Oct. 12 and left their son in the care of his father. But soon after she had left, he called and text messaged her, saying the baby’s cries sounded “weird’ and that the baby wouldn’t stop crying.

Get home as soon as you can, she testified he told her.

Under cross examination, she said her husband sounded “annoyed.”

Stacey Hinkle testified she headed right home after getting the message. When she arrived, she picked up her son and his eyes rolled back into his head and his body went limp, she told the court.

She immediately took the baby to Aria Health’s Torresdale campus. He was transferred to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where he was admitted for five days.

Stacey Hinkle also testified that the baby had a similar episode a few days earlier — on Oct. 8 — when he was left in Kyle’s care.

She had taken her nephew to work when Kyle called and told her to come home quick, that something was wrong with the baby. When Stacey returned home, her mom told her the baby had a seizure.

She testified that Kyle told her that maybe the baby had a seizure because he had a hard time making a bowel movement. They decided not to take him to the doctor because he appeared fine, she added.

Under cross-examination by public defender Ken Hone, Hinkle admitted that her husband was upset at St. Christopher’s when he told his wife what happened.

“Was (Kyle) expressing remorse and wishing it never, ever happened,” Hone asked.

Yes, she replied.

“And he said it numerous times?” Hone added.

Yes.

Bensalem police launched an investigation into the Oct. 12 incident after Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services notified them that Aria Health had treated a baby boy with injuries consistent with shaken-baby syndrome.

The infant had “new and old” subdural hematomas and retinal hemorrhages — injuries that were “highly suspect” for inflicted abuse, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Subdural hematomas occur when a blood vessel near the surface of the brain bursts.

On the witness stand, Dr. Maria McColgan, who examined and treated the baby, testified that extensive testing showed the infant suffered a potentially life threatening brain bleed and had many retinal hemorrhages. McColgan is director of the child protective program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.

She added that the baby’s condition has improved, though he had apparent developmental delays, although it’s unclear if the delays are related to the brain injury he suffered.

There is no evidence of any bleeding or metabolic disorders or other medical conditions that can cause subdural and retinal bleeding in the baby, McColgan testified. A seizure alone would not cause the bleeding, and the baby also had no history of accidental trauma, she said.

McColgan added that this type of brain injury the baby suffered requires a significant amount of force, such as a crushing injury or car accident.

“My diagnosis is this is inflicted trauma,” she said.

Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181; email: jciavaglia@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia; To subscribe, go to phillyburbs.com/orderBCCT

SIDS: Dr Susan Averitt on lowering the risk

December 17, 2012, by 5NEWS Web Staff

Dr. Susan Averitt, from Best Start Pediatric Clinic in Springdale, explains the dangers of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and what mothers can do to lower the risks.

Dr. Susan Averitt, M.D.
Board-Certified Pediatrician
5501 Willow Creek Drive, Suite 104
Springdale, Arkansas 72762
Phone (479) 575-9359
Fax (479) 575-9415
http://www.beststartpediatrics.com

SIDS: Sleep Positioners Linked To 13 Infant Deaths

30 Nov, 2012 03:00 CET

Sleep positioners have been marketed as a way to keep babies safe while snoozing but a new report shows that these children's products may be potentially hazardous.

According to the report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there have been 13 infant deaths involving the products since 1997, writes WebMD. The infants were lying in sleep positioners or sleep wedges. All the deaths were of infants below three months of age, who were placed to sleep on their sides in the sleep positioners but were found lying dead on their stomachs, says the study.

The CDC report states most of the deaths occurred because the infants rolled onto their stomachs from their sides and suffocated.

Parents should also be aware that no sleep positioners have ever been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for reducing the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). The FDA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a warning in 2010 against the use of sleep positioners, reports WebMD.

The FDA’s safety tips for parents regarding these products are:

• Never use a sleep positioner for a sleeping baby

• Never put pillows, wedges, comforters, or quilts under an infant in a crib or bassinet

• Always put an infant to sleep on his or her back to reduce the risk of SIDS

According to the FDA officials, infant sleep positioners should only be used by prescription to treat specific medical conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux.

If your child was harmed by an unsafe product, contact Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation and to find out if a product liability lawyer may be able to help you.

SIDS (?): Florida: Carbone day care charged

By RICHARD DYMOND — rdymond@bradenton.com

BRADENTON -- Isabella Nicole Beardsley was 3 months old, described by her mother as "bubbly, happy and healthy," when she stopped breathing and died on a Thursday morning in a Bradenton day care center.

Steven and Loretta Carbone, operators of Carbone Family Day Care Home, 6506 38th Ave. Circle W., Bradenton, where Isabella died on Aug. 18, 2011, were charged, after an investigation by the Bradenton Police Department and Florida Department of Children and Families, with operating a day care without a license, a misdemeanor, according to the state attorney's office.

Nearly a year and a half after Isabella's death, the Carbones faced Judge Robert A. Farrance on Monday in Courtroom 6C of the Manatee County Judicial Center in a hearing, where defendants can discuss a plea or request a trial.

The Carbones' lawyer, William Price, asked for and was granted a continuance to Jan. 8, the fifth continuance of the case.

The complicated case, which has frustrated Isabella's parents, Donald and Sunnie Beardsley of Bradenton, is steadily moving toward justice, Heather Doyle, Manatee County court division chief for the state attorney's office said Monday.

"We are aggressively prosecuting this case and preparing for trial in January," said Doyle, who added that she could not go into the details of the case.

The Beardsleys have studied the medical examiner's report, which lists Isabella's death as "undetermined," and not as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, as well as reports from Blake Medical Center and Manatee County EMS to understand why their daughter died on the fourth day she had been in the Carbones' care.

The Beardsleys older daughter, Chloe, now 6, attended the preschool for two years, from ages 1 to 3 years old, and never had a problem, the family said.

For awhile after Isabella's death, the Beardsleys held the Carbones harmless in the death, they said.

But then they began to study the reports and had questions, they said.

The Manatee County EMS team that arrived at the Carbones' after a 911 call at approximately 10:46 a.m. described Isabella in their report as "cold, blue-lipped, pale, with no respiration and no heart beat."

The Beardsleys wonder how their child could be found cold all over if she was just found not breathing moments before the EMS arrived.

The Beardsleys said they have horrible images of their child being placed in a playpen for an extended period and not checked.

As for operating without a license, the Beardsleys said they would have not put Isabella in the home had they known it wasn't officially licensed by DCF at the time.

At the courthouse Monday, Price refused comment and did not permit his clients to tell the Herald their side of the story.

Doyle is careful to point out that the misdemeanor charge was the only charge requested by the Bradenton Police Department after its investigation.

A call to Bradenton Police officials Monday was not immediately returned.

"We file the highest charge we believe we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt," Doyle said.

Perhaps the question that haunts the Beardsleys the most is if the Carbone Family Day Care Home is still operating.

A caller Monday to a phone number listed for Carbone Family Day Care Home was told it was a wrong number.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/12/04/4302864/case-against-bradenton-day-care.html#storylink=cpy

SIDS: Carter's Faces Class Action on Crib Bumpers

By REBEKAH KEARN 

     SAN DIEGO (CN) - Carter's crib bumpers do not protect infants as advertised, but "put children at greater risk for suffocation or crib death," a mother claims in a federal class action.
     Lead plaintiff Yaritza Vizcarra says Carter's markets its crib bumpers - cushions placed in the bottom of a crib and tied to the slats - to protect babies from "crib related injuries."
     "Despite the evidence that these bumpers are not safe and pose a risk of serious injury and death, defendants have turned a blind eye to the dangers posed by Carter's Crib Bumpers in order to maintain sales and profits, and continue to sell their products. In selling their crib bumpers to plaintiff and the class, defendants have knowingly concealed these serious risks and affirmatively misrepresented that Carter's Crib Bumpers are safe if properly installed," the complaint states.
     Vizcarra does not claim that her own baby suffered injury or death.
     Carter's is "one of the largest branded marketers of apparel and related products for infants and children in the United States," according to the complaint. It sells its crib bumpers separately for $40 to $70, and for around $175 as part of matching bedding sets.
     "Infant bedding sales exceed $50 million annually - a number that includes over 200,000 crib bumpers," according to the complaint.
     Vizcarra says she bought a Carter's Crib Bumper from (nonparty) Wal-Mart after seeing ads packaging that claimed the bumpers "are safe if properly installed."
     She says these ads are "false, misleading and reasonably likely to deceive the public" because crib bumpers "actually put children at greater risk for suffocation or crib death."
     She claims the warnings included with Carter's crib bumpers are inadequate because they claim parents can protect babies from strangulation simply by "properly secur[ing] the bumper" and removing it from the crib when the baby can sit up unassisted.
     "This statement not only fails to disclose the true risks that accompany the use of Carter's Crib Bumpers, it also implies that by following defendants' instructions, use of their Carter's Crib Bumpers is safe," the complaint states.
     "Defendants reaffirm this deceptive message by enclosing a 'naptime to nighttime information sheet' created by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association," which instructs parents to remove pillows and stuffed animals from the crib while the baby is sleeping - but not the bumpers - according to the complaint.
     Vizcarra says Carter's crib bumpers increase a baby's risk of injury or death, from suffocation, strangulation by the bumper's ties, and restriction air circulation around a baby, which can cause overheating and contribute to sudden infant death syndrome.
     Crib bumpers originally were intended to protect babies from getting their heads stuck between the wide slats on "older style-cribs," but all cribs now sold in the United States have such narrow slats that "it is virtually impossible for a baby's head to fit through" them, according to the complaint.
     Vizcarra claims that crib bumper sales remain high despite these changes in crib design because "manufacturers and distributors of crib bumpers, including defendants, perpetuate the falsehood d that crib bumpers eliminate risk of injury or death in the crib environment. The opposite is true: crib bumpers are themselves a hazard, totally superfluous and unneeded - and at best, worthless.
     "In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009 alone, 665 babies died from accidental suffocation or strangulation while in bed."
     Many groups have raised alarms about crib bumpers, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, which warned in October 2011 that "bumper pads should not be used in cribs," the complaint states.
     Chicago banned crib bumpers in 2011, and many other states are "considering similar bans," according to the complaint.
     Vizcarra claims that Carter's "reaped enormous profits from their false marketing and advertising campaign."
     She seeks restitution, disgorgement of unjust profits, damages for consumer law violations and unfair competition, and wants Carter's ordered to issue corrective advertising.
     Vizcarra is represented by Todd Carpenter with Bonnett, Fairbourn, Friedman & Balint.
     Many crib and baby products have been recalled in recent years due to strangulation hazards, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

SIDS (NOT!): Lawrence Tom pleads guilty to killing infant daughter by cracking her skull

.By CALEB HUTTON — THE BELLINGHAM HERALD November 29, 2012 

A 23-year-old Lummi man has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for squeezing his daughter's head "until he heard it make a popping sound" earlier this year. Lawrence V. Tom Jr. faces a maximum of 10 years in prison after entering the plea Wednesday, Nov. 29, in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He was home alone with his 6-month-old daughter, Casey Jo Tom, and another 18-month-old child on May 10, 2012. He was "tired" and "frustrated" because Casey would not stop crying, according to a criminal complaint. Tom squeezed her head between his right bicep and forearm, until he heard the skull crack. He claimed, in an interview with an FBI agent, "he did not know he hurt her as badly as he did." Three days later he asked neighbors to call 911 because the baby had stopped breathing. Casey was rushed to the hospital but died from skull fractures and bleeding in her brain. In a plea agreement, Tom's defense attorney recommended that he serve the maximum sentence of 10 years. A hearing is scheduled for March 8, 2013. The court found voluntary manslaughter to be the appropriate charge because "while in a sudden quarrel or heat of passion, caused by adequate provocation, (Tom) killed his victim recklessly with extreme disregard for human life."

Before his arrest, Tom wrote on Facebook that his daughter died from sudden infant death syndrome. "Absolutely, positively, definitely not SIDS," Whatcom County Medical Examiner Gary Goldfogel said at the time. "Homicide."

Because the crime occurred on Lummi Reservation, it was investigated by Lummi police and the FBI, and then tried in federal court.

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/11/29/2784482/lummi-man-pleads-guilty-to-killing.html#storylink=cpy

SIDS: Sudden cardiac arrest: parents should be tested

By: CNN

Updated: December 5, 2012

Sudden Cardiac Arrest, or S-C-A is a condition, where the heart stops beating. Some people survive, most don't. A lot of us think that only adults can suffer from S-C-A, but children, teens, even babies, can die from it.  

The good news is that most of these conditions are detectable and treatable if caught early.

Darren and Phyllis Sudman had the perfect family life.  But it all came to a halt when their three-month-old son, Simon, was found dead in his crib.

The Sudman's pediatrician thought it was something more than Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and recommended the Sudmans get tested.
"Go get your hearts checked because babies don't die. It's just not supposed to happen," says Darren Sudman, Simon's father.

What they found was shocking. Phyllis was diagnosed with a rare heart problem. Although she had had no symptoms, it was hereditary and was passed to Simon.  If he had been screened as a newborn, he could have been saved.  "Once I was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome, it can easily be treated," Phyllis says.

So in honor of their son, the Sudmans started Simon's Fund, an organization that provides free heart screenings to any child in the Philadelphia area.
Doctors say those tests are important because sudden cardiac arrest is the number one killer of student athletes and is responsible for up to 15% of all sudden infant deaths.
"Probably 20% of the children we see in the newborn period will have some irregularity of the heart," says pediatrician Dr. Steven Shapiro.

Simon's Fund has provided screenings for more than 5,500 children, one percent of them had some sort of defect.
"Every time we do a screening we are potentially preventing the devastation from happening again and again," Darren Sudman says.


(Elizabeth Corridan for CNN's Health Minute)

SIDS (conclusion reversed): Marco Trotta appeal

Man twice convicted of killing his baby wants name cleared

Marco Trotta was convicted of battering his son to death

The Canadian Press 

Posted: Dec 4, 2012 7:37 PM ET 

Last Updated: Dec 4, 2012 10:52 PM ET

A man twice convicted of battering his baby boy to death turns to Ontario's highest court Wednesday in hopes of having his name cleared on the grounds that his first conviction was based on evidence from disgraced forensic pathologist, Dr. Charles Smith.

Marco Trotta claims his second trial in 2009 — held after the Supreme Court of Canada quashed his murder conviction — should not have been allowed to proceed because of egregious state misconduct.

The Crown, however, is adamant a judge was right to reject a stay of proceedings, and let Trotta stand trial again for the death of eight-month-old Paolo.

Marco Trotta, pictured in 2007, wants his name cleared based on the grounds that his first conviction was based on evidence involving misconduct. (CBC)

"This case cried out for a verdict on the merits," the Crown argues in its factum to the Ontario Court of Appeal.

"Paolo's short life was full of abuse and neglect. He suffered more injuries than most people would expect to suffer in a normal lifetime."

Baby Paolo was found dead at home in Oshawa, Ont., in May 1993. His death was initially ruled a case of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Suspicions were aroused when month-old Marco Jr., born to the Trottas almost a year later, was taken to hospital with a fractured thigh. Paolo's body was exhumed, and Smith — considered the country's foremost forensic pediatric pathologist — did a second autopsy.

Based on Smith's findings, Trotta was convicted of second-degree murder at trial in 1998 and given a life sentence.

In the ensuing decade, Smith's shoddy forensics came to light. A public inquiry revealed his opinions had ruined lives, and his courtroom evidence had led to wrongful convictions.

In 2007, the Supreme Court of Canada ordered a new trial based on fresh evidence about Smith's work. The high court refused to enter an acquittal because it found evidence on which a jury could have convicted Trotta.

Among the evidence: Paolo had three separate skull fractures and a broken upper arm.

Before the second trial, Trotta pressed for a stay. Smith's perjury at the first trial had indelibly stained the prosecution, and the state's misconduct was so egregious that going ahead would damage the justice system, he argued.

The judge refused, saying Smith would not be a witness and public interest demanded a hearing.

Convicted of manslaughter

In September 2009, with the defence conceding that evidence supported a finding he had killed Paolo, Trotta was convicted of manslaughter. He was sentenced to the nine years he had already served.

Trotta now argues the judge's rejection of a stay was misguided.

"The present case is within the category of exceptional cases, where past state misconduct is of such gravity as to demand a stay of proceedings," Trotta's lawyer argues in his factum.

"The miscarriage of justice suffered by the appellant is not an isolated case but one of many. It is not the product of overzealous police officers but senior state officials, a situation that is fairly described as institutional corruption."

The Crown asserts that staying the proceedings would compound the damage Smith did to the justice system, and raise public fears of a guilty person escaping prosecution because of him.

As the trial judge noted, the case was not about Smith but about an horrifically abused infant, the Crown says.

The judge at the manslaughter trial called Trotta's actions toward his baby "unspeakable."

"A video taken during a two week vacation shortly before his death shows a sad little boy with a succession of bruises, and captures the appellant assaulting him by biting his nose to the point that the child screams," the Crown factum states.

SIDS: death investigated

TROTWOOD — 

Police are investigating the death of a 3-month-old child at an apartment where an infant died from sudden infant death syndrome last year.

As several Trotwood police cruisers remained on scene at 10:30 p.m., the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office removed the body of a 3-month-old male infant from the apartment in the 3300 block of Shiloh Springs Road.

Emergency crews responded shortly before 9 p.m. to the address on the report of a baby found not breathing.

Investigators said the father found the baby not breathing and called 911. The mother was at work at the time.

There were no signs of trauma, but the death is considered suspicious because an infant died of sudden infant death syndrome at the same home last year, according to Trotwood Sgt. Fred Beck.

“Due to two SID deaths in one family in a short amount of time, you owe it to that child to find out what happened. So this investigation is for the little one and for the family so they can have closure,” Beck said.

SIDS: Owlet Baby Monitor

A group of researchers from Brigham Young University has developed a device named as Owlet Baby Monitor, which monitors baby's heart rate and breathing level and gives report of the same to parents.

The device is like a sock, which is worn by child. "The Owlet Baby Monitor is a proactive health monitor for sleeping infants that alerts parents if their child stops breathing, experiences a drop in blood-oxygen levels", said study researchers.

The news will surely bring a smile on the faces of many parents, who do not sleep comfortably in order to ensure that child is safe at the time of his sleep. Experts said that they are quite positive that the device will reduce cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Justin Zsiros, member of the development team, said the device will give time to parents to take the needed action. He affirmed that more than 2,000 infants lose their lives in the US due to the same reason.

It is said that the device will soon be available for sale in the market. The development team has won crowd favorite award and $6,000 in the form of prize money. Moreover, they have also bagged first position in Student Innovator of the Year competition.

SIDS: Nap Nanny recliner deaths

By Robin Wulffson MD on December 5, 2012 - 8:04pm  for eMaxHealth

• Child Health and Safety
 
• Current News

Baby recliners are popular accessories that can constrain an infant or small child; however, there is a downside. On December 5, The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) filed an administrative complaint on Wednesday against a Baby Matters LLC (Berwyn, Pennsylvania) over baby recliners which the CPSC said were involved in five infant deaths.

In a statement, the CPSC said that it decided to lodge the complaint against the manufacturer of Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill recliners because the foam-rubber recliners have defects in “design, warnings, and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to infants.”

The complaint seeks an order from a federal administrative law court requiring that the firm notify the public of the defect and offer consumers a full refund. To date, four infants have died in Nap Nanny Generation Two recliners and a fifth death involved the Chill model. The CPSC noted that it also has more than 70 other reports of children nearly falling out of the recliners, The commission said it acted after talks with Baby Matters failed to come up with a voluntary recall plan that would adequately address the hazard posed by using the recliner in a crib or without the harness straps being securely fastened.

SIDS: NICHD Overview

SIDS is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant younger than 1 year old.

It is the leading cause of death in children between 1 month and 1 year of age.¹ Although there is no sure way to prevent SIDS, parents and caregivers can reduce the risk for SIDS.
The NICHD has been a leader in research on SIDS since the early 1970s. To complement its research, the NICHD partnered with other organizations to launch the Safe to Sleep campaign(formerly the Back to Sleep campaign) in 1994 to educate parents, caregivers, and health care providers about ways to reduce the risk of SIDS. Since then, SIDS rates in the United States have decreased by 50%.²
For more information about this topic, select the Condition Information, Research Information, Clinical Trials, or Resources and Publications link in the menu on the left.

Fast Facts

Common Names

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Crib death
• Cot Death

What is SIDS?

SIDS is the sudden death of an infant younger than 1 year old that is unexplained after a full workup is done, including an autopsy of the baby, a review of the medical history, and a review of the circumstances surrounding the death.

How many families are affected?

Each year, more than 2,000 infants die from SIDS.³ It is the third-leading cause of infant death in the United States, following abnormalities of birth and complications related to low birth weight. Among infants older than 1 month, SIDS is the leading cause of infant death.⁴

What causes it?

Researchers don’t know exactly what causes SIDS, but there are several theories.⁵

How can I reduce the risk of SIDS?

The most effective way to reduce the risk for SIDS is to place infants on their backs to sleep for all sleep times—for naps and at night.⁶ Other ways of reducing risk include creating a safe sleep environment.⁷ For a complete list of ways to reduce the risk for SIDS, visit the How can I reduce the risk of SIDS? section.

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1. Mathews, T. J., & MacDorman, M. (2011). Infant mortality statistics from the 2007 period linked birth/infant death data set. National Vital Statistics Report, 59, 1-30. Retrieved June 6, 2012, fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr59/nvsr59_06.pdf (PDF - 750 KB) [top]
2. NICHD. (2006). SIDS rate and back sleeping. Retrieved May 29, 2012, fromhttp://www.nichd.nih.gov/SIDS/Documents/SIDS_rate_back_sleep_2006.pdf (PDF - 48 KB) [top]
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). Retrieved May 23, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/sids [top]
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Infant health. Retrieved June 1, 2012, fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/infant_health.htm [top]
5. NICHD. (2006). Continuing education program on SIDS risk reduction. Retrieved June 15, 2012, fromhttp://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/Documents/Cont_Educ_Prog_Nurses_SIDS_rev.pdf (PDF - 2.32 MB) [top]
6. NICHD. (2005). Safe sleep for your baby. Retrieved June 15, 2012. [top]
7. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2011). SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths: Expansion of recommendations for a safe infant sleeping environment. Pediatrics, 128, 1030-1039. Retrieved June 15, 2012, from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/10/12/peds.2011-2284.full.pdf+html(PDF - 336 KB) [top]

SBS: Malaysia

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2012 - 10:56

Location: 

KUALA LUMPUR

BRAIN haemorrhage due to 'Shaken baby Syndrome' was identified as the cause of death of a one-year-old baby girl warded at the Pediatric Ward of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), here Thursday.

Cheras police chief ACP Mohan Singh Tara Singh said, an autopsy conducted this morning found that the baby had serious head injuries and no sign of other physical injuries.

"The mother of the victim, in her 30s, from Ampang Hilir, said she took her daughter to HKL when the girl was in critical condition with breathing difficulties," he told Bernama yesterday.

He said no arrests have been made so far and the case was being investigated under Section 31(1) (a) of the Children Act 2001 and classified as sudden death. — Bernama

SBS: Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Lack of awareness among parents and childcare providers has resulted in a rise in Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) cases over the past three years, said an ophthalmologist.

The number of SBS cases requiring vitrectomy (removal of the gel from within the eyeball) increased to 16 this year from nine last year and five in 2010, said Hospital Kuala Lumpur’s (HKL) ophthalmology department head Dr Joseph Alagaratnam.

He said vigorous or repetitive shaking of an infant could result in bruising, swelling, pressure and bleeding in the brain.

“Forceful shaking can also cause other injuries such as damage to the neck, spine and eyes because the baby’s head is rather heavy while the neck muscles are still weak,” he said at a media briefing yesterday.

Dr Alagaratnam said as a baby normally cried between two and three hours a day, parents and care-givers should know how to handle it.

“SBS can lead to death, mental retardation, blindness, impaired vis­ion, low IQ, autism and behavioural disorders, such as hyperactivity and self-inflicted injuries,” he said. — Bernama