Professional considerations regarding the nomenclature used in infant and pediatric mortality
Abstract
The death of an infant or child is an unbearable loss for the family, therefore, a detailed and professional forensic medical examination is essential, particularly in cases of unnatural death. The aim of this review is to compare the nomenclature and criteria of internationally applied professional guidelines used in the investigation of death in infancy and childhood (namely, the San Diego criteria, and the protocols of The Royal College of Pathologists) and highlight the main differences with the Hungarian nomenclature. We note that in Hungary there is no unified and specific terminology when it comes to the investigation of sudden death in infancy and childhood, especially for the accurate and differentiated assessment of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) cases. In this paper, we propose clarification of the Hungarian forensic nomenclature and recommend a more detailed description of different causes of death in infancy and childhood.
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