SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME

Early day motion 953, tabled 3 March 2009 by John Hemming (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 24 members.

That this House notes the recent reports from Barts Hospital that subdural haematomas can occur without non accidental head injury in babies up to two months old and that two retinal haemorrhages have been encountered in babies in a similar cohort; calls for urgent further research in this area including looking at hypoxaemic encephalopathy; recognises that the recent reports question the use of the presence of subdural haematomas and retinal haemorrhages in isolation as a reliable indicator for non accidental head injury; and calls for the Government to initiate a review of criminal cases and family court cases to identify where miscarriages of justice may have occurred.

Signatures by party: Labour 11, Liberal Democrat 5, Conservative 2, DUP 2, Independent 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.