ISSN: 0022-1198
Published Online: 1 March 1998
Page Count: 2

Subdural Neomembranes and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Rogers, CB
Department of Coroner, CA

Heuser, ET
Department of Coroner, CA

Itabashi, HH
Department of Coroner, CA

Tomiyasu, U
Department of Coroner, CA

(Received 31 March 1997; accepted 10 July 1997)

Abstract

Cranial dura maters of 36 consecutive infants with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and 16 control infants coming to the Department of Coroner were examined microscopically to determine if subdural neomembranes are associated with cases submitted as SIDS. Thirty-one percent (31%) of the infants with SIDS and 13% of control infants had organizing subdural neomembranes (p > 0.05). Overall prevalence of organizing subdural neomembranes was 25% in the group examined.

In all but two cases, birth trauma could be excluded as a cause of head trauma by aging neomembranes histologically. No association was found between type of delivery (vaginal or Cesarean) and presence of a subdural neomembrane.

Subdural neomembranes are common in infants autopsied in a forensic setting, but they may be missed without a microscopic examination. Subdural neomembranes have no demonstrated association with SIDS.

Keywords:
forensic science, head trauma, subdural hemorrhage, sudden infant death syndrome

Paper ID: JFS16149J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS16149J
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