We have reported for the first time levels of ‘background’ DNA found on the skin of infants and very young children,highlighting that, despite intimate contact with carers and siblings, levels of non-child DNA found are extremely low.
These results have the potential to provide a baseline to any forensic assessment of DNA samples taken from a child, where injuries are suspected to have arisen from a physical blow or bite from a third party.
We have shown an interesting, albeit unexplained, association between the amount of child and non-child DNA retrieved, which merits further exploration. For this approach to be fully utilised, it would be necessary to further our understanding of the mechanisms of DNA transfer involving skin cells, body fluids and cell-free nucleic acids during both social and anti-social acts, to both inanimate