Published online June 1, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 6 June 2006, pp. 2247-2251 (doi:10.1542/peds.2006-0429)
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SPECIAL ARTICLE

Meadow, Southall, and the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom

David L. Chadwick, MDa, Henry F. Krous, MDb and Desmond K. Runyan, MD, DrPHc

a Chadwick Center for Children and Families, Children’s Hospital-San Diego, San Diego, California
b Department of Pathology, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, California
c Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

In this article we address the recent actions of the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom affecting 2 pediatricians who are major contributors to pediatric knowledge about the intentional suffocation of infants. The General Medical Council struck one of them from the register of licensed medical practitioners, but the decision was appealed successfully. The council restricted the practice of the other pediatrician. After a review of the transcripts of the hearings, we conclude that the opinions given by both doctors were responsible, and the transcripts suggest that the conduct of the hearings was unfair. Licensing boards may have difficulty in competently regulating doctors' expert testimony, at least in cases involving child maltreatment.

Key Words: abuse • sudden unexpected death • SIDS • testimony • licensure

Abbreviations: GMC—General Medical Council • SIDS—sudden infant death syndrome

Accepted Mar 20, 2006.




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