Caffey 4

The Parent-Infant Traumatic Stress Syndrome

Citation:

Caffey J: The parent-infant traumatic stress syndrome. Amer J Roentgen 114(2):218-229, February 1972.

Notes:

Dr. Caffey advocated replacing the name "battered child syndrome" with "PITS" (parent-infant traumatic stress symdrome) because the name "battered child" tends to provoke and inflame premature bias against the accused before adequate medical and legal investigation is made.
When an infant has been injured repeatedly, the probability of intentional trauma is great.
A nurse is reported to have killed several children by shaking them. The parents were unaware of the traumatic episodes, yet any one of them could have been convicted of homicide if the legal principle of "res ipsa loquitur" (the thing proves itself) had been used to judge them in court.
The media tends to present the more spectacular and misleading aspects of the syndrome.
A study by Helfer and Kempe in Denver indicates that criminal penalties for battering parents are useless.