Delayed sudden death in an infant following an accidental fall: a case report with review of the literature.

Several controversies exist regarding ultimately lethal head injuries in small children. Death from short falls, timing of head injury, lucid intervals, presence of diffuse axonal injury (DAI), and subdural hematoma (SDH) as marker of DAI are the most recent controversial topics of debate in this evolving field of study. In this area of debate, we present a case of delayed death from a witnessed fall backwards off a bed in a 9-month-old black male child who struck his head on a concrete floor and was independently witnessed as "healthy" postfall for 72 hours until he was discovered dead in bed.

Pathological case of the month: sudden death in a child as a result of pancreatitis during valproic acid therapy.

Valproic acid is a widely used drug in the treatment of epilepsy and, compared to other anticonvulsant drugs, is considered safe. The most common side effects of valproic acid ingestion or therapy are transient nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Most of these complaints are mild.