The prevalence and distribution of bruising in babies

Identifying inflicted injuries in infants and young children

Child physical abuse is a common cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. Up to half of all children presenting with abusive injuries have a history of a prior suspicious injury, suggesting a pattern of repeated physical abuse. Medical providers are responsible for identifying children with suspicious injuries, completing mandated reporting to child protective services for investigation, and screening for occult injuries and underlying medical conditions that can predispose to injuries. Early identification of inflicted injuries appropriate evaluations may serve as an opportunity for life-saving intervention and prevent further escalation of abuse. However, identification of abuse can be challenging. This article will review both physical exam findings and injuries that suggest abuse as well as the evaluation and management of physical abuse.

High annualized bleeding rates in pediatric patients with inherited platelet function disorders

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Bruises in Premobile Infants: A Contested Area of Research, Policy and Practice

This paper provides an analysis of the procedures adopted by statutory safeguarding partners throughout England in response to finding bruising in premobile infants. Against the backdrop of empirical research, we begin by challenging the view that bruising in premobile infants can be considered rare and thus suggestive of physical abuse. Then, within the procedure themselves, we point to differences in the definitions of what constitutes a premobile child, differences in the interpretation of research into bruising, and differences in how local authorities require social workers to act. We then discuss the risks involved with over-reaction to bruising in premobile children. Finally, we suggest changes to procedures that would support the appropriate use of discretion by social workers and health staff in this difficult area of practise.

Bruising in Infants: An Approach to the Recognition of Child Physical Abuse

Infants (children <12 months of age) are maltreated at more than twice the rate of any other child age group, and infants die because of maltreatment at 3 times the rate of any other age group in childhood. The incidence of hospitalization for serious physical abuse in children also is highest for infants. Successful recognition of medically mild signs of physical abuse in infants, such as certain bruising patterns, can, therefore, lead to lifesaving interventions. The importance of the recognition of medically mild injuries due to physical abuse is underscored by the finding that a high percentage of infants (27.5%) hospitalized with serious physical abuse were found to have previously sustained milder injuries, such as bruising. Clinicians must be aware of patterns of bruising suggestive of abuse to distinguish between infants who have been abused and those who have been accidentally injured. To maximize the likelihood that abused infants will be identified and protected, as well to minimize the likelihood that an accidentally injured infant will be mischaracterized as abused, the application of an evidence-based approach to the evaluation of bruised infants should be applied. A consistent, evidence-based practice in this setting also may reduce the influence of racial and socioeconomic bias and decrease disparities in care.

Cutaneous Manifestations of Child Abuse & Neglect: Part I

Child abuse and neglect remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Dermatologists may not fully conceptualize their crucial role in the evaluation of child abuse and neglect as both mandated reporters and experts in skin pathology. This CME summarizes the current information on cutaneous signs and clinical simulants of abuse for dermatologists so that dermatologists gain more insight into the skin examination for child abuse and neglect, develop confidence in their ability to distinguish dermatologic signs of accidental versus inflicted trauma, and more frequently consider abuse and neglect in their differential diagnosis.

Can TEN4 distinguish bruises from abuse, inherited bleeding disorders or accidents?

OBJECTIVE

Does TEN4 categorisation of bruises to the torso, ear or neck or any bruise in <4-month-old children differentiate between abuse, accidents or inherited bleeding disorders (IBDs)?

DESIGN

Prospective comparative longitudinal study.

SETTING

Community.

PATIENTS

Children <6 years old.

INTERVENTIONS

The number and location of bruises compared for 2568 data collections from 328 children in the community, 1301 from 106 children with IBD and 342 abuse cases.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Likelihood ratios (LRs) for the number of bruises within the TEN and non-TEN locations for pre-mobile and mobile children: abuse vs accidental injury, IBD vs accident, abuse vs IBD.

RESULTS

Any bruise in a pre-mobile child was more likely to be from abuse/IBD than accident. The more bruises a pre-mobile child had, the higher the LR for abuse/IBD vs accident. A single bruise in a TEN location in mobile children was not supportive of abuse/IBD. For mobile children with more than one bruise, including at least one in TEN locations, the LR favouring abuse/IBD increased. Applying TEN4 to collections from abused and accidental group <48 months of age with at least one bruise gave estimated sensitivity of 69% and specificity for abuse of 74%.

CONCLUSIONS

These data support further child protection investigations of a positive TEN4 screen in any pre-mobile children with a bruise and in mobile children with more than one bruise. TEN4 did not discriminate between IBD and abuse, thus IBD needs to be excluded in these children. Estimated sensitivity and specificity of TEN4 was appreciably lower than previously reported.

What's in a name? Sentinel injuries in abused infants

Infants are at greatest risk of severe and fatal physical abuse yet they sometimes present for medical care multiple times with abusive injuries prior to being diagnosed with abuse and having protective actions taken. Efforts to identify these infants in a timely manner are critical to prevent repeated, escalating abuse and subsequent harm. Increasing the identification and evaluation of sentinel injuries has been highlighted as a strategy for improving timely detection of abuse in infants. Sentinel injuries are visible, minor, poorly explained injuries in young infants that raise concern for abuse. These injuries include cutaneous injuries such as bruising, subconjunctival hemorrhages and intra-oral injuries. Sentinel injuries can signal concurrent clinically occult but more serious injuries or precede more significant trauma from abuse. As such, sentinel injuries offer an opportunity to intervene and protect infants from further harm. A thorough physical exam is critical for detecting sentinel injuries. Imaging with skeletal survey and, when appropriate, neuroimaging are key components of the medical evaluation of sentinel injuries in these high-risk infants.

Validation of a Clinical Decision Rule to Predict Abuse in Young Children Based on Bruising Characteristics

IMPORTANCE

Bruising caused by physical abuse is the most common antecedent injury to be overlooked or misdiagnosed as nonabusive before an abuse-related fatality or near-fatality in a young child. Bruising occurs from both nonabuse and abuse, but differences identified by a clinical decision rule may allow improved and earlier recognition of the abused child.

OBJECTIVE

To refine and validate a previously derived bruising clinical decision rule (BCDR), the TEN-4 (bruising to torso, ear, or neck or any bruising on an infant <4.99 months of age), for identifying children at risk of having been physically abused.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1, 2011, to March 31, 2016, at emergency departments of 5 urban children's hospitals. Children younger than 4 years with bruising were identified through deliberate examination. Statistical analysis was completed in June 2020.

EXPOSURES

Bruising characteristics in 34 discrete body regions, patterned bruising, cumulative bruise counts, and patient's age. The BCDR was refined and validated based on these variables using binary recursive partitioning analysis.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Injury from abusive vs nonabusive trauma was determined by the consensus judgment of a multidisciplinary expert panel.

RESULTS

A total of 21 123 children were consecutively screened for bruising, and 2161 patients (mean [SD] age, 2.1 [1.1] years; 1296 [60%] male; 1785 [83%] White; 1484 [69%] non-Hispanic/Latino) were enrolled. The expert panel achieved consensus on 2123 patients (98%), classifying 410 (19%) as abuse and 1713 (79%) as nonabuse. A classification tree was fit to refine the rule and validated via bootstrap resampling. The resulting BCDR was 95.6% (95% CI, 93.0%-97.3%) sensitive and 87.1% (95% CI, 85.4%-88.6%) specific for distinguishing abuse from nonabusive trauma based on body region bruised (torso, ear, neck, frenulum, angle of jaw, cheeks [fleshy], eyelids, and subconjunctivae), bruising anywhere on an infant 4.99 months and younger, or patterned bruising (TEN-4-FACESp).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this study, an affirmative finding for any of the 3 BCDR TEN-4-FACESp components in children younger than 4 years indicated a potential risk for abuse; these results warrant further evaluation. Clinical application of this tool has the potential to improve recognition of abuse in young children with bruising.

Accidental trauma of infancy: emergency department evaluation and management

The common mechanisms and injury patterns of accidental trauma in infants differ from those of older children and adults, with falls representing the most common etiology. While the evaluation of traumatic injury in infants should follow an algorithm similar to that used for adults, the unique pediatric physiologic response to trauma must be taken into consideration. In addition, the utility of certain imaging studies in these patients is highly case specific, particularly with minor head injuries. This supplement reviews the evaluation and management of infants with accidental traumatic injury, including the most common circumstances and pathophysiology of injury, the differential diagnosis of the infant trauma victim, and the workup and management of accidental injuries in this patient population.

Effects of the ketogenic diet on platelet counts and global coagulation tests in childhood epilepsy

PURPOSE

Several antiseizure drugs (ASD), especially Valproic acid (VPA), influence platelet counts and coagulation parameters. The ketogenic diet (KD), established in drug-resistant epilepsy, is combined with ASDs. Bruising and prolonged bleeding times during KD have been described, but whether hemostatic changes result from the KD or from concomitant ASDs, remains unclear. Aim of the present study was to evaluate bleeding, platelet counts and global coagulation tests prior to and during KD in childhood epilepsy.

METHOD

Consecutive children treated with KD were systematically observed for bleeding. Serial measurements of platelet counts and global coagulation tests (APTT, PT and fibrinogen) were obtained at baseline and during KD (at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months). Children with KD monotherapy, concomitant VPA, or other ASDs were compared.

RESULTS

Among 162 children receiving KD, we observed neither bleeding in daily life nor perioperative bleeding in those undergoing surgery (n = 25). Most children had normal platelet counts and coagulation parameters. Only a few had transient mild thrombocytopenia and mildly prolonged APTT values, not indicative of a bleeding risk. Even KD combined with VPA did not cause relevant coagulopathy. Unexpectedly, we found mild thrombocytosis in 24 % of patients prior to KD, which was most pronounced in yet untreated epilepsy. Thrombocytosis steadily resolved during KD.

CONCLUSIONS

During KD treatment of childhood epilepsy, we observed neither bleeding symptoms nor laboratory results indicating a bleeding risk. Unexpectedly, mild thrombocytosis was present in 24 % at baseline, normalising during KD. Thrombocytosis may reflect the underlying inflammatory process of untreated epilepsy and requires further study.

Inherited Platelet Disorders: A Modern Approach to Evaluation and Treatment

The inherited platelet disorders are a heterogeneous group of disorders that can be pleotropic in their clinical presentations. They may present with variable platelet counts and bleeding, making their diagnosis difficult. New diagnostic tools range from flow cytometric platelet function assessments to next-generation sequencing. Several platelet disorders may now be treated with gene therapy or bone marrow transplant. Improved understanding of the molecular and biologic mechanisms of the inherited platelet disorders may lead to novel targeted therapies.

Patterns of bruising in preschool children with inherited bleeding disorders: a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE

The extent that inherited bleeding disorders affect; number, size and location of bruises in young children <6 years.

DESIGN

Prospective, longitudinal, observational study.

SETTING

Community.

PATIENTS

105 children with bleeding disorders, were compared with 328 without a bleeding disorder and classified by mobility: premobile (non-rolling/rolling over/sitting), early mobile (crawling/cruising) and walking and by disease severity: severe bleeding disorder factor VIII/IX/XI <1 IU/dL or type 3 von Willebrand disease.

INTERVENTIONS

Number, size and location of bruises recorded in each child weekly for up to 12 weeks.

OUTCOMES

The interventions were compared between children with severe and mild/moderate bleeding disorders and those without bleeding disorders. Multiple collections for individual children were analysed by multilevel modelling.

RESULTS

Children with bleeding disorders had more and larger bruises, especially when premobile. Compared with premobile children without a bleeding disorder; the modelled ratio of means (95% CI) for number of bruises/collection was 31.82 (8.39 to 65.42) for severe bleeding disorders and 5.15 (1.23 to 11.17) for mild/moderate, and was 1.81 (1.13 to 2.23) for size of bruises. Children with bleeding disorders rarely had bruises on the ears, neck, cheeks, eyes or genitalia.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with bleeding disorder have more and larger bruises at all developmental stages. The differences were greatest in premobile children. In this age group for children with unexplained bruising, it is essential that coagulation studies are done early to avoid the erroneous diagnosis of physical abuse when the child actually has a serious bleeding disorder, however a blood test compatible with a mild/moderate bleeding disorder cannot be assumed to be the cause of bruising.

Childhood bruising distribution observed from eight mechanisms of unintentional injury

OBJECTIVE

To inform the assessment of described mechanisms of bruising in children.

DESIGN

Prospective cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The emergency department, and children in the local community.

PATIENTS

Children aged 0-13 years with bruises from unintentional injuries.

EXCLUSIONS

bleeding disorder, medication affecting coagulation or child protection concerns.

INTERVENTIONS

Injury incidents were categorised into one of eight causal mechanisms (fall from<1 m, 1-2 m, fall from standing height or less and hitting an object during fall, stairs or impact, crush, sports or motor vehicle collision).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Location, number and mechanism of bruising for each injury mechanism.

RESULTS

372 children had 559 injury incidents, resulting in 693 bruises; 85.2% of children were walking independently, with impact injuries and fall from standing height (including hitting an object) being the predominant mechanisms. A single bruise was observed in 81.7% of all incidents. Stair falls resulted in ≥3 bruises only with falls involving ≥10 steps (6/16). Bruising was rarely observed on the buttocks, upper arm, back of legs or feet. No bruises were seen in this dataset on ears, neck or genitalia. Petechial bruising was only noted in 1/293 unintentional incidents, involving a high-impact injury in a school-aged child.

CONCLUSION

These findings have the potential to aid an assessment of the plausibility of the explanation given for a child with bruising. Certain bruise distributions were rarely observed, namely multiple bruises from a single mechanism, petechiae and bruising to the ears, neck or genitalia.

Cutaneous sign of abuse: Kids are not just little people

Skin injury is the most common form of child physical abuse. Although the pattern and visual appearance of skin injury and the treatment needed for the injury is similar in children and adults, characteristics of infant and childhood skin may complicate the diagnosis of injury. A good understanding of normal developmental presentation of accidental injury from infancy to adulthood, locations for injury that should trigger consideration of abuse, and cutaneous mimics of abuse across the lifespan are critical to the identification of suspected abuse. Adults and older children can provide a history directly to providers, though it should be noted that abused adults and children may not always disclose the true cause of their injuries. In infants and very young children, a history from the patient is lacking due to the verbal abilities of the child, and a parent or other caregiver may provide a false or misleading history that can complicate the diagnosis and treatment. The approach to taking the history, when abuse is suspected, is a critical part of the evaluation, and best practice will vary depending on whether your patient is a child or an adult.

Describing visible acute injuries: development of a comprehensive taxonomy for research and practice

BACKGROUND

Little literature exists classifying and comprehensively describing intentional and unintentional acute injuries, which would be valuable for research and practice. In preparation for a study of injury patterns in elder abuse, our goal was to develop a comprehensive taxonomy of relevant types and characteristics of visible acute injuries and evaluate it in geriatric patients.

METHODS

We conducted an exhaustive review of the medical and forensic literature focusing on injury types, descriptions, patterns and analyses. We then prepared iteratively, through consensus with a multidisciplinary, national panel of elder abuse experts, a comprehensive classification system to describe these injuries.

RESULTS

We designed a three-step process to fully describe and classify visible acute injuries: (1) determining the type of injury, (2) assigning values to each of the characteristics common to all geriatric injuries and (3) assigning values to additional characteristics relevant for specific injuries. We identified nine unique types of visible injury and seven characteristics critical to describe all these injuries, including body region(s) and precise anatomic location(s). For each injury type, we identified two to seven additional critical characteristics, such as size, shape and cleanliness. We pilot tested it on 323 injuries on 83 physical elder abuse victims and 45 unintentional fall victims from our ongoing research to ensure that it would allow for the complete and accurate description of the full spectrum of visible injuries encountered and made modifications and refinements based on this experience. We then used the classification system to evaluate 947 injuries on 80 physical elder abuse victims and 195 unintentional fall victims to assess its practical utility.

CONCLUSIONS

Our comprehensive injury taxonomy systematically integrates and expands on existing forensic and clinical research. This new classification system may help standardise description of acute injuries and patterns among clinicians and researchers.

Testing for Abuse in Children With Sentinel Injuries

OBJECTIVE

Child physical abuse is commonly missed, putting abused children at risk for repeated injury and death. Several so-called sentinel injuries have been suggested to be associated with high rates of abuse, and to imply the need for routine testing for other, occult traumatic injuries. Our objective was to determine rates of abuse evaluation and diagnosis among children evaluated at leading children's hospitals with these putative sentinel injuries.

METHODS

This is a retrospective secondary analysis of the Pediatric Health Information System database. We identified 30 355 children with putative sentinel injuries. We measured rates of abuse diagnosis and rates of testing commonly used to identify occult injuries.

RESULTS

Among all visits for children <24 months old to Pediatric Health Information System hospitals, the rate of abuse diagnosis was 0.17%. Rates of abuse diagnosis for children with at least 1 putative sentinel injury ranged from 3.5% for children <12 months old with burns to 56.1% for children <24 months with rib fractures. Rates of skeletal survey and other testing that can identify occult traumatic injury were highly variable between centers and for different injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

Several putative sentinel injuries are associated with high rates of physical abuse. Among eligible children with rib fracture(s), abdominal trauma, or intracranial hemorrhage, rates of abuse were more than 20%. Future work is warranted to test whether routine testing for abuse in these children can improve early recognition of abuse.

The Prevalence of Bruising Among Infants in Pediatric Emergency Departments

STUDY OBJECTIVE

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.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, observational, multicenter study of infants aged 12 months or younger presenting to pediatric EDs. Structured sampling was used. Pediatric emergency medicine clinicians performed complete skin examinations to screen for bruising. Study investigators documented skin findings, date of visit, patient's age, chief complaint, and abuse evaluation. The primary outcome was prevalence of bruising. Secondary outcomes were prevalence of bruising based on chief complaint and frequency of abuse evaluation. Point estimates of bruise prevalence and differences in bruise prevalence between patient subgroups were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Bruising was identified in 88 of 2,488 infants (3.5%; 95% CI 2.9% to 4.4%). Rates of bruising for infants 5 months and younger and older than 5 months were 1.3% and 6.4%, respectively (difference 5.1%; 95% CI 3.6% to 6.8%). For infants 5 months and younger, 83% of bruising was associated with a trauma chief complaint and only 0.2% of infants presenting with a medical chief complaint had bruising. Pediatric emergency medicine clinicians obtained abuse evaluations on 23% of infants with bruising, and that rate increased to 50% for infants 5 months and younger.

CONCLUSION

Bruising prevalence in children 12 months and younger who were evaluated in pediatric EDs was low, increased within age strata, and was most often associated with a trauma chief complaint. Most bruised infants did not undergo an abuse evaluation.

Abusive head trauma: a review of the evidence base

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article is to review the constellation of findings of abusive head trauma, which may be accompanied by injuries to the appendicular and axial skeleton, brain and spinal cord, and retina. Additional common features include skin and soft-tissue injury, visceral findings, and evidence of oral trauma.

CONCLUSION

The evidence base for abusive head trauma encompasses diverse disciplines, including diagnostic imaging, pathology, pediatrics, biomechanics, ophthalmology, epidemiology, and orthopedics. When the varied sources of evidence are pieced together and taken in toto, abusive head trauma is often readily differentiated from alternative explanations of an infant's injuries.

Patterns of bruising in preschool children--a longitudinal study

INTRODUCTION

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

METHODS

Prospective longitudinal study of children (<6 years) where bruises were recorded on a body chart, weekly for up to 12 weeks. The number and location of bruises were analysed according to development. Longitudinal analysis was performed using multilevel modelling.

RESULTS

3523 bruises recorded from 2570 data collections from 328 children (mean age 19 months); 6.7% of 1010 collections from premobile children had at least one bruise (2.2% of babies who could not roll over and 9.8% in those who could), compared with 45.6% of 478 early mobile and 78.8% of 1082 walking child collections. The most common site affected in all groups was below the knees, followed by 'facial T' and head in premobile and early mobile. The ears, neck, buttocks, genitalia and hands were rarely bruised (<1% of all collections). None of gender, season or the level of social deprivation significantly influenced bruising patterns, although having a sibling increased the mean number of bruises. There was considerable variation in the number of bruises recorded between different children which increased with developmental stage and was greater than the variation between numbers of bruises in collections from the same child over time.

CONCLUSIONS

These data should help clinicians understand the patterns of 'everyday bruising' and recognise children who have an unusual numbers or distribution of bruises who may need assessment for physical abuse or bleeding disorders.

The evaluation of suspected child physical abuse

Child physical abuse is an important cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality and is associated with major physical and mental health problems that can extend into adulthood. Pediatricians are in a unique position to identify and prevent child abuse, and this clinical report provides guidance to the practitioner regarding indicators and evaluation of suspected physical abuse of children. The role of the physician may include identifying abused children with suspicious injuries who present for care, reporting suspected abuse to the child protection agency for investigation, supporting families who are affected by child abuse, coordinating with other professionals and community agencies to provide immediate and long-term treatment to victimized children, providing court testimony when necessary, providing preventive care and anticipatory guidance in the office, and advocating for policies and programs that support families and protect vulnerable children.

Is fluorescence under an alternate light source sufficient to accurately diagnose subclinical bruising?

This single-blinded, randomized validation study was conducted to evaluate whether fluorescence under alternate light sources (ALS) is sufficient to diagnose subclinical bruising (bruising not visible under white light). Standardized trauma was induced on randomly selected ventral forearms. On days 1, 7, and 14 investigators independently examined case forearms under white light for perceived bruising and under ALS for fluorescence and compared body maps. 56 case and 62 control forearms (n = 118) were examined. Sensitivity of ALS on days 1, 7, and 14 was 76.8%, 69.6%, and 60.7%, respectively, compared to 69.6%, 60.0%, and 32.1% for white light. The specificity of ALS on days 1, 7, and 14 was 51.6%, 59.7%, and 53.2%, respectively, compared to 71.0%, 81.4%, and 86.9% for white light. ALS has increased sensitivity yet low specificity compared to white light in accurately detecting bruises. Fluorescence under ALS is not sufficient to accurately or responsibly diagnose subclinical bruising.

Sentinel injuries: subtle findings of physical abuse

Injuries, other than abrasions, are rare in precruising infants. In this population, a history or observation of a sentinel skin injury, intraoral injury, or musculoskeletal injury without a plausible explanation, is concerning for physical abuse. A precruising infant with a sentinel injury should be medically evaluated for occult injury and predisposing medical conditions, as well as reported to authorities for further investigation. Early identification of sentinel injuries and appropriate interventions can prevent further abuse.

Dental treatment abuse

These case reports highlight dental treatment abuse performed by a quack on children. The anterior teeth of these children were metal capped using cement, which were otherwise healthy. The treatment was done on children without parental consent by a quack from Denmark who gave the reason as for resolving proclination of upper permanent incisors. The unanatomic, unaesthetic metal caps were removed after the child reported to the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry.

Additional injuries in young infants with concern for abuse and apparently isolated bruises

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.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a prospectively planned secondary analysis of an observational study of children<10 years (120 months) of age evaluated for possible physical abuse by 20 US child abuse teams. This analysis included infants<6 months of age with apparently isolated bruising who underwent diagnostic testing for additional injuries or bleeding disorders.

RESULTS

Among 2890 children, 33.9% (980/2890) were <6 months old, and 25.9% (254/980) of these had bruises identified. Within this group, 57.5% (146/254) had apparently isolated bruises at presentation. Skeletal surveys identified new injury in 23.3% (34/146), neuroimaging identified new injury in 27.4% (40/146), and abdominal injury was identified in 2.7% (4/146). Overall, 50% (73/146) had at least one additional serious injury. Although testing for bleeding disorders was performed in 70.5% (103/146), no bleeding disorders were identified. Ultimately, 50% (73/146) had a high perceived likelihood of abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Infants younger than 6 months of age with bruising prompting subspecialty consultation for abuse have a high risk of additional serious injuries. Routine medical evaluation for young infants with bruises and concern for physical abuse should include physical examination, skeletal survey, neuroimaging, and abdominal injury screening.

Systematic reviews of bruising in relation to child abuse-what have we learnt: an overview of review updates

BACKGROUND

Dogma has long prevailed regarding the ageing of bruises, and whether certain patterns of bruising are suggestive or diagnostic of child abuse.

OBJECTIVES

We conducted the first Systematic Reviews addressing these two issues, to determine the scientific basis for current clinical practice. There have been seven updates since 2004.

METHODS

An all language literature search was performed across 13 databases, 1951-2004, using >60 key words, supplemented by 'snowballing' techniques. Quality standards included a novel confirmation of abuse scale. Updates used expanded key words, and a higher standard for confirmation of abuse.

RESULTS

Of 1495 potential studies, only three met the inclusion criteria for ageing of bruises in 2004, confirming that it is inaccurate to do so with the naked eye. This was roundly rejected when first reported, generating a wave of new studies attempting to determine a scientifically valid method to age bruises, none of which are applicable in children yet. Regarding patterns of bruising that may be suggestive or diagnostic of abuse, we included 23 of 167 studies reviewed in 2004, although only 2 were comparative studies. Included studies noted that unintentional bruises occur predominantly on the front of the body, over bony prominences and their presence is directly correlated to the child's level of independent mobility. Bruising patterns in abused children, differed in location (most common site being face, neck, ear, head, trunk, buttocks, arms), and tended to be larger. Updates have included a further 14 studies, including bruising in disabled children, defining distinguishing patterns in severely injured abused and non-abused children, and importance of petechiae.

CONCLUSIONS

Systematic Reviews of bruising challenged accepted wisdom regarding ageing of bruises, which had no scientific basis; stimulated higher quality research on patterns of bruises distinguishing abusive and non-abusive bruising patterns, and highlighted the benefits of regular updates of these reviews.

Bruising in children who are assessed for suspected physical abuse

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.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING AND PATIENTS

519 children, <6 years, referred to two paediatric child protection teams.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The mode of presentation, number, anatomical distribution, size and appearance of bruises according to whether PA was confirmed or excluded. ORs with 95% CI were calculated where relevant.

RESULTS

PA was confirmed in 69% of children; the rate varied from 84% when abuse was witnessed, admitted, alleged or where explanation for injury was absent or implausible, to 50% where there was a concerning history. Significantly more children with PA had bruises (89.4%) than PA-excluded (69.9%) and had significantly more sites affected (p<0.001). The odds of a PA child having bruising to: buttocks/genitalia (OR 10.9 (CI 2.6 to 46), left ear (OR 7.10 (CI 2.2 to 23.4), cheeks (Left (OR 5.20 (CI 2.5 to 10.7), Right OR 2.83 (CI 1.5 to 5.4)), neck (OR 3.77 (CI 1.3 to 10.9), trunk (back (OR 2.85 (CI 1.6 to 5.0) front (OR 4.74 (CI 2.2 to 10.2), front of thighs (OR2.48 (CI 1.4 to 4.5) or upper arms (OR 1.90 (CI 1.1 to 3.2) were significantly greater than in children with PA-excluded. Petechiae, linear or bruises with distinct pattern, bruises in clusters, additional injuries or a child known to social services for previous child abuse concerns were significantly more likely in PA.

CONCLUSIONS

Features in the presenting history, the extent and pattern of bruising differed between children with confirmed PA and those where abuse was excluded. These findings can provide a deeper understanding of bruising sustained from PA.

Multiple injuries in a 3-year-old Nigerian girl: an extreme form of physical abuse

Physical abuse and other forms of child maltreatment occur worldwide. However, in developing countries such as Nigeria they are not often considered in the differential diagnosis. A 3-year-old girl is presented who sustained injuries including traumatic teeth extraction, multiple bruises, femoral shaft fracture and haemorrhage resulting in severe anaemia as a result of physical assault by her father. This case underscores the need for the implementation of appropriate legislation to combat child maltreatment in Nigeria.

The medical assessment of bruising in suspected child maltreatment cases: A clinical perspective

Bruises commonly occur in children and are most often the result of a minor accidental injury. However, bruises can also signal an underlying medical illness or an inflicted injury (maltreatment). Although bruising is the most common manifestation of child physical maltreatment, knowing when to be concerned about maltreatment and how to assess bruises in this context can be challenging for clinicians. Based on current literature and published recommendations, this practice point will help clinicians to distinguish between accidental and inflicted bruises, to evaluate and manage bruising in the context of suspected child maltreatment, and to evaluate for an underlying medical predisposition to bruising.

Evaluating for suspected child abuse: conditions that predispose to bleeding

Child abuse might be suspected when children present with cutaneous bruising, intracranial hemorrhage, or other manifestations of bleeding. In these cases, it is necessary to consider medical conditions that predispose to easy bleeding/bruising. When evaluating for the possibility of bleeding disorders and other conditions that predispose to hemorrhage, the pediatrician must consider the child's presenting history, medical history, and physical examination findings before initiating a laboratory investigation. Many medical conditions can predispose to easy bleeding. Before ordering laboratory tests for a disease, it is useful to understand the biochemical basis and clinical presentation of the disorder, condition prevalence, and test characteristics. This technical report reviews the major medical conditions that predispose to bruising/bleeding and should be considered when evaluating for abusive injury.

Evaluation for bleeding disorders in suspected child abuse

Bruising or bleeding in a child can raise the concern for child abuse. Assessing whether the findings are the result of trauma and/or whether the child has a bleeding disorder is critical. Many bleeding disorders are rare, and not every child with bruising/bleeding concerning for abuse requires an evaluation for bleeding disorders. In some instances, however, bleeding disorders can present in a manner similar to child abuse. The history and clinical evaluation can be used to determine the necessity of an evaluation for a possible bleeding disorder, and prevalence and known clinical presentations of individual bleeding disorders can be used to guide the extent of the laboratory testing. This clinical report provides guidance to pediatricians and other clinicians regarding the evaluation for bleeding disorders when child abuse is suspected.

Prevalence of abusive injuries in siblings and household contacts of physically abused children

OBJECTIVE

Siblings and other children who share a home with a physically abused child are thought to be at high risk for abuse, but rates of injury in these contact children are unknown and screening of contacts is highly variable. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of abusive injuries identified by a common screening protocol among contacts of physically abused children.

METHODS

This is an observational, multicenter cross-sectional study of children evaluated for physical abuse, and their contacts, by 20 US child abuse teams who used a common screening protocol for the contacts of physically abused children with serious injuries. Contacts underwent physical examination if they were <5 years old, physical examination and skeletal survey (SS) if they were <24 months old, and physical examination, SS, and neuroimaging if they were <6 months old.

RESULTS

Protocol-indicated SS identified at least 1 abusive fracture in 16 of 134 contacts (11.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.5-18.5) <24 months of age. None of these fractures had associated findings on physical examination. No injuries were identified by neuroimaging in 19 of 25 eligible contacts (0.0%, 95% CI 0.0-13.7). Twins were at substantially increased risk of fracture relative to nontwin contacts (odds ratio 20.1, 95% CI 5.8-69.9).

CONCLUSIONS

SS should be obtained in the contacts of injured, abused children for contacts who are <24 months old, regardless of physical examination findings. Twins are at higher risk of abusive fractures relative to nontwin contacts.

Child abuse: skin markers and differential diagnosis

Reports of child abuse have increased significantly. The matter makes most physicians uncomfortable for two reasons: a) Little guidance or no training in recognizing the problem; b - Not understanding its true dimension. The most common form of child violence is physical abuse. The skin is the largest and frequently the most traumatized organ. Bruises and burns are the most visible signs. Physicians (pediatricians, general practitioners and dermatologists) are the first professionals to observe and recognize the signs of intentional injury. Dermatologists particularly, can help distinguish intentional injury from accidental, or from skin diseases that mimic maltreatment.

Challenges in the evaluation for possible abuse: presentations of congenital bleeding disorders in childhood

OBJECTIVES

To describe children with congenital bleeding disorders that present in a manner that may be concerning for non-accidental trauma (NAT), and to evaluate associations with disease and demographic characteristics.

METHODS

Ten year retrospective chart review of subjects at a Hemophilia Treatment Center. Demographic, historical, and disease characteristics were collected. Findings were compared to a priori criteria for bleeding/bruising that is concerning for abuse.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine (15.3%) of the 189 children in the study had an initial presentation that was concerning for NAT. Of those 29, 75.9% were <5 years of age, 44.8% had von Willebrand disease (vWD), 51.8% had hemophilia, and 48.3% had a family history of a named bleeding disorder. Children from 9 months through 5 years of age were more likely than older children to present with findings concerning for abuse (OR 3.32, 1.21-9.10). No association was detected between presentation concerning for abuse and gender (OR 1.51, 0.6-3.77). Hemophilia was no more likely than vWD to present in a manner that was concerning for abuse (OR 0.7, 0.31-1.58). No children presented with patterned bruising.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with bleeding disorders may present with bruising/bleeding that is clinically highly suggestive of NAT.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Infants and young mobile children who have non-patterned bruising or bleeding as the only symptom concerning for abuse require an evaluation that includes testing for hemophilia and vWD. Children who have laboratory testing that indicates the presence of a bleeding disorder, but have clinical findings concerning for abuse, may benefit from a collaborative evaluation including a pediatric hematologist and a child abuse pediatrician.

Bruises in children: normal or child abuse?

Bruises in active children are common and often are considered "normal" childhood injuries. However, bruises also may be the result of physical abuse or other conditions. The evaluation of a child with bruising should include a thorough history and physical examination to determine the cause. When abuse is suspected, prompt reporting is necessary to protect the child from further injury. This article provides information intended to assist nurse practitioners and other pediatric health care providers in their decision making when assessing a child with bruises.

Bruising characteristics discriminating physical child abuse from accidental trauma

OBJECTIVE

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 for abuse.

METHODS

A case-control study of children 0 to 48 months of age who were admitted to a PICU because of trauma was performed. Case subjects (N = 42) were victims of physical abuse, and control subjects (N = 53) were children admitted because of accidental trauma during the same time period. Bruising characteristics (total number and body region) and patient age were compared for children with abusive versus accidental trauma. The development of a decision rule for predicting abusive trauma was accomplished with the fitting of a classification and regression tree through binary recursive partitioning.

RESULTS

Ninety-five patients were studied. Seventy-one (33 of 42 patients in the abuse group and 38 of 53 in the accident group) were found to have bruising, and the characteristics were modeled. Characteristics predictive of abuse were bruising on the torso, ear, or neck for a child <or=4 years of age and bruising in any region for an infant <4 months of age. A bruising clinical decision rule was derived, with a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 84% for predicting abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Discriminating differences exist in bruising characteristics for abusive versus accidental trauma. The body region- and age-based bruising clinical decision rule model functions as a clinically sensible screening tool to identify young children who require further evaluation for abuse.