Suspected Physical Child Maltreatment

Bruising can indicate abuse for infants. Bruise prevalence among infants in the pediatric emergency department (ED) setting is unknown. Our objective is to determine prevalence of bruising, associated chief complaints, and frequency of abuse evaluations in previously healthy infants presenting to pediatric EDs.

Infants with minor abusive injuries are at risk for more serious abusive injury, including abusive head trauma (AHT). Our study objective was to determine if children with AHT had prior opportunities to detect abuse and to describe the opportunities.

Our goal was to develop and evaluate a protocol for standardized photography of injuries that may be broadly applied.

This study aims to identify the prevalence and pattern of bruises in preschool children over time, and explore influential variables.

To reduce missed cases of pediatric abusive head trauma (AHT), Pediatric Brain Injury Research Network investigators derived a 4-variable AHT clinical prediction rule (CPR) with sensitivity of .96. Our objective was to validate the screening performance of this AHT CPR in a new, equivalent patient population.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of additional injuries or bleeding disorders in a large population of young infants evaluated for abuse because of apparently isolated bruising.

Objective: To describe the characteristics of bruising and mode of presentation of children referred to the paediatric child protection team with suspected physical abuse (PA), and the extent to which these differ between the children where abuse was confirmed and those where it was excluded.

This study was designed to measure the accuracy of a screening instrument for detection of potential child abuse used in EDs.

This review outlines subtle findings of physical abuse in children.

This study aimed to determine the incidence of missed opportunities to diagnose abuse in a cohort of children with healing abusive fractures and to identify patterns present during previous medical visits, which could lead to an earlier diagnosis of abuse.

This review outlines distinguishing characteristics between intentional and unintentional burns.

This review outlines emergency department evaluation of child abuse.

Our objective was to determine how often abused infants have a previous history of "sentinel" injuries, compared with infants who were not abused.

This technical report reviews the major medical conditions that predispose to bruising/bleeding and should be considered when evaluating for abusive injury.

The present article offers practical advice about the approach to: documentation of a child abuse assessment; providing testimony and behaviour in the court system for the nonexpert; and, finally, guidance for individuals giving expert or opinion evidence for medicolegal purposes.

This article describes the evidence base behind the associated historical, clinical and neuroradiological features of abusive head trauma and spinal injury in physical abuse and sets out an algorithm of essential investigations that should be performed in any infant or young child where abusive head trauma is suspected.

We sought to determine whether accidental femur fractures in pediatric patients younger than age 4 could be distinguished from child abuse using a combination of presumed risk factors from the history, physical examination findings, radiographic findings, and age.

Our objective was to conduct a pilot study to identify discriminating bruising characteristics and to model those findings into a decision tool for screening children at high risk forabuse.

The purpose of our study was to describe the patterns of orthopaedic injury for child abuse cases detected in the large urban area that our institution serves, and to compare the injury profiles of these victims of child abuse to that of general (accidental) trauma patients seen in the emergency room and/or hospitalized during the same time period.

This review identifies some of the features that can be used to differentiate abusive fractures from the greater numbers of childhood fractures that are sustained from accidental trauma. Current investigation strategies and diagnostic dilemmas are discussed.

To determine the frequency and location of bruises in normal infants and toddlers, and to determine the relationship of age and developmental stage to bruising.

Objectives: To determine how frequently AHT was previously missed by physicians in a group of abused children with head injuries and to determine factors associated with the unrecognized diagnosis.