ABSTRACT
SUMMARY. Although the Shaken Baby Syndrome was not formally described by John Caffey until 1972, it can be traced back at least 500 years. Beginning with a prophecy made by Nostradamus in 1555, many have described subdural hematoma and its relationship to trauma and abuse. This chapter explores aspects leading up to Caffey's work, from early attempts to understand this in children through our present understanding of abusive head trauma. [Article copies availablefor a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: <getinjo@haworthpressinc.com> Website: <https://www.HaworthPress.com>; © 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.}
KEYWORDS. Historical aspects, pachymeningitis intema hemorrhagica, subdural hematoma, John Caffey, whiplash shaken infant syndrome
In recent years the Shaken Baby Syndrome has become increasingly recognized not only by child abuse professionals but also increasingly by the lay public. History has taught us, however, that timely topics are frequently timeless as well. The Shaken Baby Syndrome is an excellent example of how a cur-
© 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 9
10 THE SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
rent medical syndrome possesses deep historic roots, which can be traced back to the prophesy of a French physician in 1555 and followed to the pages of today's medical journals.
