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Chapter 15 - When Lack of Information Leads to Apparent Paradoxes and Wrong Conclusions

Analysis of a Seminal Article on Short Falls

from Section 3 - Science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2023

By
Leila Schneps
Edited by
Keith A. Findley ,
Cyrille Rossant ,
Kana Sasakura ,
Leila Schneps ,
Waney Squier  and
Knut Wester
Keith A. Findley
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Cyrille Rossant
Affiliation:
University College London
Kana Sasakura
Affiliation:
Konan University, Japan
Leila Schneps
Affiliation:
Sorbonne Université, Paris
Waney Squier
Affiliation:
John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Knut Wester
Affiliation:
Universitetet i Bergen, Norway
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Summary

This chapter reviews the evidence showing that short falls may sometimes cause the types of bleeding typically attributed to shaken baby syndrome. Focusing on one seminal article dismissing short falls as a possible cause for fatal injury in infants, it examines in detail the statistical and reasoning errors that allowed the authors to reach their erroneous conclusion, an exercise all the more useful in that these are widespread throughout the literature. Based on numerous publications, the chapter adduces evidence showing that in fact, although they are rare, short falls can be dangerous.

Keywords

short fallssubdural haematomamisuse of statisticserrors of logicstatistical paradox
Type
Chapter
Information
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Investigating the Abusive Head Trauma Controversy
 , pp. 236 - 248
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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