Children's fingerprints can be harder to detect, particularly when aged, primarily because they are prone to fading more quickly than adult fingerprints.
According to research referenced in a December 29, 2010 publication, aged fingerprints left by children have been shown to fade faster than those of adults.
This accelerated fading makes these prints:
- Less visible over time
- Almost impossible to capture using standard detection methods
Key Challenge
The main difficulty in detecting aged children's prints stems directly from this faster deterioration rate. As the print fades, the residue left behind (sweat, oils, etc.) diminishes, making it harder for forensic techniques to visualize and recover the ridge patterns needed for identification.
Factors Potentially Contributing (General Knowledge, Not Explicitly in Reference)
While the primary reason highlighted in the reference is the faster fading, other factors can generally influence fingerprint quality, though the reference focuses on the fading aspect for children's aged prints:
- Print Quality: Younger children might have less defined ridges.
- Residue Amount: Body chemistry and activity levels can affect the amount of residue left.
However, the specific challenge for aged prints from children, as noted in the reference, is the speed at which they lose visibility due to fading compared to adult prints.
This fading characteristic makes collecting and analyzing older child prints a significant hurdle in forensic investigations.
