A subjective analysis of participants' views in a study of experimental modelling of imposed airway obstruction in infants and children.

Deliberate airway obstruction is a well-recognised form of child abuse and one of the most common causes of death in cases of child homicide. Although classical signs such as petechial haemorrhages can be helpful in raising the suspicion of mechanical asphyxia, they are not always present. Therefore, distinguishing between bruising caused by accidents, medical conditions or non-accidental injury remains challenging.

Experimental modelling of imposed upper airway obstruction in infants and children.

The interpretation of injuries to children and infants poses a number of difficulties to any medical practitioner involved in their care or tasked with the investigation their death. This includes differentiating accidental from non-accidental trauma and the consideration of medical factors making a child more prone to injury. Non-fatal but life-threatening upper airway obstruction is unfortunately a well-recognized pattern of abuse which may precede a fatal episode.

The use of dental putty in the assessment of hard surfaces within paved urban areas that may leave defined or patterned marks on bodies.

The identification of a patterned skin or scalp mark at autopsy can provide key forensic evidence in identifying an injury that may have been left by an assailant's footwear. It is also important to consider whether such a mark could alternatively have been left by the deceased coming into forceful contact with a hard surface at the scene of an incident, for example by falling. This study was designed to demonstrate how variable surfaces are within paved urban areas, including those which might leave marks resembling footwear patterns, and to evaluate whether dental putty impression lifting is a practical and effective adjunct to photography in assessing patterned surfaces.

Homicidal smothering: vital histological confirmation of orofacial injury despite a prolonged post-mortem interval.

Homicidal smothering is the deliberate occlusion of the external airways, usually using the hands, pillows, or bedding. Victims are often those who are unable to resist, such as the young or the old. The limited resistance offered by these individuals may result in a comparative lack of injury.