A Clinical Discussion on Diagnostic Certainty in Suspected Abuse

Adorable baby girl sticking her tongue out

Why this Discussion is Necessary

In cases of suspected child abuse, clinical findings are often interpreted within high-stakes medical and legal contexts.

While many practitioners might approach these cases with care and integrity, there is ongoing discussion within parts of the medical and scientific community regarding:

  • The specificity of certain diagnostic findings

  • The role of differential diagnosis

  • The interpretation of complex clinical presentations

  • The translation of medical opinion into legal certainty

  • The consequences of removing a child from their safe home and family (ACES)

This project exists to support thoughtful, evidence-based engagement with these questions. If you’re a medical provider who has made it this far, thank you. We appreciate your openness to this discussion.

Let’s keep the conversation going!

Doctor listening to a child's heartbeat. She's wearing pink glasses and a big pink bow

A Cross-Disciplinary Coalition

The Honest Diagnosis Project brings together:

  • Physicians across specialities

  • Medical researchers and scientists

  • Legal professionals working in child protection and family defense

  • Families directly affected by these medical misdiagnoses

Our goal is not to undermine child safety or deny the existence of child abuse.

It is to ensure that medical conclusions are:

  • Scientifically grounded

  • Transparently communicated

  • Appropriately contextualized in both clinical and legal settings

  • Honest

CT imaging of a brain
Toddler bring thrown up in the air by a red-headed woman

  • Diagnostic criteria and their limitations

  • Differential diagnoses (e.g., medical, genetic, accidental causes)

  • The evidentiary weight of clinical findings

  • Variability in expert interpretation

  • The interface between medicine and the legal system

  • CAPs: Are they over-inflating their expertise? And why are they taught how to confuse a jury in their sub-specialty training?

Areas of Ongoing Discussion

An Invitation to Engage - Not a Position to Adopt

We recognize that this is a complex and sensitive area of medicine.

This is not a forum built on assumptions or conclusions. It is a space for:

  • Professional dialogue

  • Critical evaluation of evidence

  • Consideration of uncertainty where it exists and the harm caused to children and families when it’s ignored

A system that refuses to admit its mistakes or accept accountability is a broken system. We recognize that medical professionals are human and, therefore, are fallible. We’re here for healthy discussion, not finger-pointing.

Connect with the Coalition

If you are a medical professional interested in learning more, contributing to the discussion, or accessing additional materials, we welcome your engagement and partnership in keeping kids safe.

The Honest Diagnosis Project is committed to:

  • Respectful, evidence-based discussion

  • Multidisciplinary collaboration

  • Protecting both child safety and diagnostic integrity

We hope to hear from you soon.