The Syndrome filmmakers Meryl Goldsmith and Susan Goldsmith Debunking Shaken Baby Syndrome: AMA!

Hi,
We're filmmakers Meryl Goldsmith and Susan Goldsmith who made the feature documentary The Syndrome, in theaters and on demand tomorrow 4/15. Susan has been researching this for 6+ years. Please see the film!

Also we recommend read up about Dr. Ommaya and Dr. Norman Guthkelch.

Here's a film review in today from Village Voice:
www.villagevoice.com...

Look forward to answering questions!

a reply to: MerylGoldsmith

A couple questions for starters...

What brought your attention to the issue?

What one thing about the controversy convinced you that the criminal prosecutions of SBS was faulty?

a reply to: MerylGoldsmith

You could post it here, for everyone to see

a reply to: MerylGoldsmith

Has your work and expertise led you to folks from the Innocence Project or the Exoneration Project?

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge on ATS. Very much appreciated!

originally posted by: MerylGoldsmith
Hi,
We're filmmakers Meryl Goldsmith and Susan Goldsmith who made the feature documentary The Syndrome, in theaters and on demand tomorrow 4/15. Susan has been researching this for 6+ years. Please see the film!

Also we recommend read up about Dr. Ommaya and Dr. Norman Guthkelch.

Here's a film review in today from Village Voice:
www.villagevoice.com...

Look forward to answering questions!

What causes the unique symptoms if not SBS?

a reply to: Boadicea

I began looking into this when I was an investigative reporter at The Oregonian in Portland, Oregon, shortly after the 2008 Audrey Edmunds decision in Wisconsin. That was the first time a shaken baby syndrome conviction was overturned because the science was no longer certain and Ms. Edmunds was released from prison 11 years into a 16-year-sentence. I began to see that the facts of the Edmunds came were the same as hundreds and possibly thousands of other convictions and that was troubling.

Also, when I began to dive deep into the issue and looked at pleadings in criminal cases all over the country I saw that there was no diagnostic gold standard in these cases. Some cases had two symptoms; some three; some one; one cases had none but was still called shaken baby syndrome (Shirley Ree Smith case--she was pardoned by Gov. Brown in California).

a reply to: Sargeras

In our film we feature Dr. Patrick Barnes, who is head of pediatric neuroradiology at Stanford University hospital, and who co-founded the child protection team..he used to diagnose shaken baby syndrome cases and says that because of MRIs and really looking at the science, he no longer believes in it being a real diagnosis and says that they now know dozens of medical conditions can cause the symptoms (subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage and cerebral edema). As it turns out, bleeding is a generic response to many conditions, diseases, vitamin deficiencies, as well as short falls.

a reply to: [post=20603997]MerylGoldsmith[/post

Hi and Welcome.

I have no questions but look forward to the information ...
Terrible to know that many parents life's may have been ruined by false accusations of abuse on top of losing a loved child.

My Respects to all your team for their hard work

a reply to: FamCore

Our work has not led to anyone's innocence however our film features three doctors who defend people in these cases and have worked with Innocence Project/Network attorneys around the country and have had a number of cases overturned. Some noteable convictions that have been overturned that may be of interest to you --Drayton Witt in Arizona; Shirley Ree Smith California; Rene Bailey, New york; Audrey Edmunds Wisconsin. Sadly, many courts continue to uphold these convictions on appeal leading to what Northwestern Law School Professor Deborah Tuerkheimer (who is in our film) calls a "staggering criminal justice crisis."

Well, i love your view on humans, however, my point of view is that, humans are not nice behind closed doors.

And that was a friendly suggestion. =)

a reply to: SusanGoldsmith

Thanks so much for your response. It's sad that those in the "Justice System" are so determined to make convictions stick that they will overlook human rights and facts of a case. Thanks for your work.

Sharing links to info on the 4 cases you mentioned:

Drayton Witt - Arizona Case Overturned

Shirley Ren Smith - New York Case

Ren Smith case

Audrey Edmunds case

a reply to: SusanGoldsmith

What is your thought on the claim that vaccines causes the same symptoms as SBS.

The antivaccine lie that just won’t die: The claim that shaken baby syndrome is really due to “vaccine injury”

Why do you think something like this has taken such a strong hold in the collective psyche?

We even have commercials about it, and its one of those topics that seem to have an enormous amount of resistance to change.

a reply to: Mianeye

This was not an issue at all in my research. Vaccines have nothing to do with our film and did not come up in my reporting.

What did you find to be the most shocking evidence against SBS and how can we know that SBS is not completely true in some cases?

Welcome to ATS by the way! Sometimes my thoughts get ahead of my being friendly!

a reply to: SusanGoldsmith

Thanks

I have just watched the trailer. I will definitely be watching! Thank you for being here.

a reply to: reldra

Great to hear! Thank you!

a reply to: Serdgiam

That's an excellent question. There is a multi-million dollar shaken baby syndrome industrial complex (we get into it in the film) that includes millions of dollars in prevention materials, government grants to study and prevent this and private foundation money. We highlight the big driver of the empire--the National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome in Utah. Note they've trademarked their prevention materials and the man whose work is the basis for the prevention materials, Dr. Ronald Barr, owns a piece of the trademark along with his wife, Marilyn Barr, the woman who ran the center as its paid executive director for many years. The two of them, in conjunction with doctors we identify in the film, disseminate all of this for years, including the trademarked materials, which they sell to hospitals, daycare centers, prosecutors offices across the United States.

a reply to: reldra

It's great to be here and we look forward to hearing what you think about the film!