Suspected Physical Child Maltreatment

This systematic review identifies features of intentional non-scald burns in physical abuse.

Objectives: To define what abusive visceral injuries occur, including their clinical features and the value of screening tests for abdominal injury among abused children.

Aim: To report the retinal signs that distinguish abusive head trauma (AHT) from non-abusive head trauma (nAHT).

Objective: To systematically review the literature to determine which clinical and radiographic characteristics are associated with abusive head trauma (AHT) and nonabusive head trauma (nAHT) in children.

Objective: To identify the evidence base behind the neuroradiological features that differentiate abusive head trauma (AHT) from non-abusive head trauma (nAHT).

Child abuse and neglect (CAN) is a serious problem that has major implications for the welfare of the child involved. Unexplained fractures are of particular concern to the orthopaedic surgeon, who must often consider alternative diagnoses to CAN. We therefore (1) determined which bone diseases most commonly mimic CAN; (2) what types of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) are most commonly confused with CAN and why; and (3) what specific findings in OI and bone disease render a mistaken diagnosis of CAN more likely.

Aim: Systematic review of 'What are the clinical and radiological characteristics of inflicted spinal injury?'

Screening markers are used in emergency departments (EDs) to identify children who should be assessed for possible physicalabuseand neglect. We conducted three systematic reviews evaluating age, repeat attendance and injury type as markers for physicalabuseor neglect in injured children attending EDs.

Aim: To investigate the optimal neuroradiological investigation strategy to identify inflicted brain injury (iBI).

Aim: A systematic review of the scientific literature to define clinical indicators distinguishing inflicted (iBI) from non-inflicted brain injury (niBI).

Aim: To conduct a systematic review to identify distinguishing features of intentional and unintentional scalds.

A torn labial frenum is widely regarded as pathognomonic of abuse. We systematically reviewed the evidence for this, and to define other intra-oral injuries found in physical abuse.

Aim: To investigate what patterns of bruising are diagnostic or suggestive of child abuse by means of a systematic review.

Aim: To investigate whether it is possible to determine the age of a bruise in a child in clinical practice by means of a systematic review.