Incidence, pattern and mechanisms of injuries and fractures in children under two years of age

ESR Essentials: imaging of suspected child abuse-practice recommendations by the European Society of Paediatric Radiology

The goal of this paper is to provide a useful desktop reference for the imaging of suspected child abuse with clear, age-specific pathways for appropriate evidence-based imaging and follow-up. We aim to provide a road map for the imaging evaluation and follow-up of this important and vulnerable cohort of patients presenting with signs and symptoms concerning for inflicted injury. As the imaging recommendations differ for children of different ages, we provide a flowchart of the appropriate imaging pathway for infants, toddlers, and older children, which allows ease of selection of which children should undergo skeletal survey, non-contrast computed tomography (CT) brain with 3-dimensional (D) reformats, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and whole spine. For ease of review, we include a table of the common intracranial and spinal patterns of injury in abusive head trauma. We summarise search patterns, areas of review, and key findings to include in the report. To exclude skeletal injury, infants and children under 2 years of age should undergo a full skeletal survey in accordance with national guidelines, with a limited follow-up skeletal survey performed 11-14 days later. For children over 2 years of age, the need for skeletal imaging should be decided on a case-by-case basis. All infants should undergo a non-contrast-enhanced CT brain with 3-D reformats. If this is normal with no abnormal neurology, then no further neuroimaging is required. If this is abnormal, then they should proceed to MRI brain and whole spine within 2-5 days. Children older than 1 year of age who have abnormal neurology and/or findings on skeletal survey that are suggestive of inflicted injury should undergo non-contrast CT brain with 3-D reformats and, depending on the findings, may also require MRI of the brain and whole spine. We hope that this will be a helpful contribution to the radiology literature, particularly for the general radiologist with low volumes of paediatrics in their practice, supporting them with managing these important cases when they arise in daily practice. KEY POINTS: The choice of initial imaging (skeletal survey and/or brain CT) depends on the age of the child in whom abuse is suspected. A follow-up skeletal survey is mandatory 11-14 days after the initial survey. If an MRI of the brain is performed, then an MRI of the whole spine should be performed concurrently.

The factors associated with the caregiving burden among family caregivers of pediatric patients with fractures: A descriptive cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

To investigate the factors linked to the caregiving burden among family caregivers of pediatric patients with fractures.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional research used non-probabilistic sampling involving 200 pediatric patients (0-14 years) with fractures and their family caregivers. Data was collected between November 2019 and June 2020. The Chinese version of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) assessed caregiving burden and coping styles. We examined clinical data of patients and caregivers, identifying factors influencing caregiving burden by integrating findings from parallel studies, and conducted statistical analyses on these factors.

RESULTS

Most family caregivers in this study were women (80.5%), with mothers comprising 56% of the total. The average ZBI score was 40.65 ± 17.27, and 81.5% of caregivers had moderate or severe burden. Factors associated with caregiving burden included caregiver gender, co-caregivers, positive and negative coping scores, and monthly income. The significant factors that were identified accounted for approximately 42.4% of the variability in the caregiving burden.

CONCLUSIONS

This study concluded that family caregivers of pediatric patients with fractures often experience moderate to severe burdens, especially female caregivers, those without co-caregivers, using negative coping strategies, and from low-income families. Thus, it is essential to provide these families with professional information, policy support, and affordable, effective care services.

IMPLICATIONS TO PRACTICE

Healthcare professionals should prioritize addressing the caregiving burden of family caregivers of pediatric patients with fractures. Nurses can actively improve the health of these pediatric patients and ease parental burden by providing information about social support systems.

[Red flags for child abuse : Pediatric radiological and forensic aspects]

CLINICAL ISSUE

The diagnostics of physical child abuse are usually performed by a multidisciplinary team and frequently represent a clinical challenge. Radiological expertise is particularly important for the recognition of abusive injuries to the skeletal system and the central nervous system. The aim of the article is to give an overview of red flags of child abuse in radiological imaging.

IMAGING METHODS

For the diagnostics of child abuse, conventional projection radiography of the skeletal system as well as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head are especially relevant. There is insufficient evidence with respect to sonography.

CONCLUSION

Radiological imaging plays a key role for recognizing physical child abuse. Radiological red flags of child abuse can be crucial for making the diagnosis.

Assessing guideline adherence and child abuse evaluation in infants with fractures: a retrospective quality control study

AIMS OF THE STUDY

To standardise the assessment of infants with fractures at University Children's Hospital Zurich, a guideline was implemented in February 2021. The aim of this study was to assess adherence to this guideline and to assess changes in management before and after guideline implementation. The primary outcome was the overall adherence rate to the guideline. Additionally, we evaluated specific omissions of guideline steps by clinicians and investigated differences in adherence for infants younger vs older than six months, as well as variations between in- and outpatient care. Secondary outcomes focused on changes in the frequency of involvement of the child protection team, skeletal survey rates and child abuse detection, comparing these rates before and after guideline implementation.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective single-centre quality control study. We included infants younger than 12 months diagnosed with fractures at the emergency department between 1 February 2021 and 31 August 2022. We excluded children with prior bone disease diagnoses and those whose parents did not consent to their children's data being used for research.

RESULTS

A total of 61 emergency department visits of infants with fractures were included in the study. The overall adherence rate to the guideline was 39%. Notably, in 68% of cases where clinicians deviated from the guideline, the primary reason was a missing consultation of the paediatrician or family doctor. Adherence levels were consistent across age groups (under and over six months), but there was a notable discrepancy between inpatient (53%) and outpatient (26%) care settings. Child protection team involvement increased to 54%, twice the rate observed before guideline implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall adherence to the guideline was poor, emphasising the necessity for continuous training of clinicians to raise awareness regarding the differential diagnosis of child abuse. Despite the guideline's implementation leading to a doubled rate of child protection team involvement, there remains a need for improvement. Notably, outpatient care exhibited lower guideline adherence, signalling an area requiring focused attention.

Mechanisms and Intervention of Prebiotic Foods in Musculoskeletal Health

The review focuses primarily on collating and analyzing the mechanistic research data that discusses the function of prebiotics to halt the frailty of musculoskeletal system. Musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) are frequently reported to co-occur within their own categories of conditions, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis owing to their overlapping pathogenesis. Consequently, the same drugs are often used to manage the complications of most types. A few recent studies have addressed the therapeutic functions of gut microbes toward those commonly shared MSD pathway targets. Improving microbial diversity and enriching their population in the gut would promote the regeneration and recovery of the musculoskeletal system. Prebiotics are usually nondigestible substrates that are selectively used or digested by the gut microbes conferring health promotion. The microbial fermentation of prebiotics generates numerous host-beneficial therapeutic molecules. This study inspects the presumptive functions of plant-derived prebiotics for the growth and restoration of intestinal microbiota and the consequent improvement of skeletal health. The review also highlights the discrete functions of prebiotics against inflammation, autoimmunity, infection, physiologic overloading mechanism, and aging-associated loss of metabolism in MSD.

The incidence of fractures in children under two years of age: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological research on fractures in children under the age of two is of great importance to help understand differences between accidental and abusive trauma.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aimed to evaluate studies reporting on the incidence of fractures in children under two years of age, excluding birth injuries. Secondary outcome measures included fracture location, mechanisms of injury and fracture characteristics.

METHODS

A systematic literature review (1946 to February 7th 2024), including prospective and retrospective cohort studies and cross-sectional cohort studies, was performed. Studies including children from other age groups were included if the actual measures for those aged 0-2 years could be extracted. We also included studies restricted to infants. Annual incidence rates of fractures were extracted and reported as the main result. Critical appraisal of was performed using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies.

RESULTS

Twelve moderate to good quality studies met eligibility criteria, of which seven were based on data from medical records and five were registry studies. Studies investigated different aspects of fractures, making comprehensive synthesis challenging. There was an overall annual fracture incidence rate of 5.3 to 9.5 per 1,000 children from 0-2 years of age; with commonest sites being the radius/ulna (25.2-40.0%), followed by tibia/fibula (17.3-27.6%) and the clavicle (14.6-14.8%) (location based on 3 studies with a total of 407 patients). In infants, the reported incidence ranged between 0.7 to 4.6 per 1,000 (based on 3 studies), with involvement of the clavicle in 22.2% and the distal humerus in 22.2% of cases (based on 1 study). Only a single metaphyseal lesion was reported (proximal humerus of an 11-month-old infant). Fracture mechanisms were detailed in four studies, with fall from chair, bed, table, own height or fall following indoor activities causing 50-60% of fractures.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a paucity of good quality data on fracture incidence in children under the age of two. Larger, prospective and unbiased studies would be helpful in determining normal pattern of injuries, so that differences from abusive trauma may be better understood.

Skeletal Outcomes in Children and Young Adults with Glomerular Disease

BACKGROUND

Children with glomerular disease have unique risk factors for compromised bone health. Studies addressing skeletal complications in this population are lacking.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study utilized data from PEDSnet, a national network of pediatric health systems with standardized electronic health record data for more than 6.5 million patients from 2009 to 2021. Incidence rates (per 10,000 person-years) of fracture, slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), and avascular necrosis/osteonecrosis (AVN) in 4598 children and young adults with glomerular disease were compared with those among 553,624 general pediatric patients using Poisson regression analysis. The glomerular disease cohort was identified using a published computable phenotype. Inclusion criteria for the general pediatric cohort were two or more primary care visits 1 year or more apart between 1 and 21 years of age, one visit or more every 18 months if followed >3 years, and no chronic progressive conditions defined by the Pediatric Medical Complexity Algorithm. Fracture, SCFE, and AVN were identified using SNOMED-CT diagnosis codes; fracture required an associated x-ray or splinting/casting procedure within 48 hours.

RESULTS

We found a higher risk of fracture for the glomerular disease cohort compared with the general pediatric cohort in girls only (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3 to 1.9). Hip/femur and vertebral fracture risk were increased in the glomerular disease cohort: adjusted IRR was 2.2 (95% CI, 1.3 to 3.7) and 5 (95% CI, 3.2 to 7.6), respectively. For SCFE, the adjusted IRR was 3.4 (95% CI, 1.9 to 5.9). For AVN, the adjusted IRR was 56.2 (95% CI, 40.7 to 77.5).

CONCLUSIONS

Children and young adults with glomerular disease have significantly higher burden of skeletal complications than the general pediatric population.

Value of additional lateral radiographs in paediatric skeletal surveys for suspected physical abuse

AIM

To determine the added value of lateral limb radiographs in suspected physical abuse (SPA), particularly with regard to fracture detection and reporter confidence.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A 3-year (October 2017 to November 2020) retrospective study was conducted. Two blinded paediatric radiologists independently reviewed the appendicular radiographs for the presence of fractures, first by reviewing just the frontal projections, then both frontal and lateral radiographs. The additional yield of fractures and changes in reporting confidence scores were recorded.

RESULTS

One hundred and thirty-eight skeletal surveys (29 live, 109 deceased children) were assessed, consisting of 16 appendicular fractures imaged in two projections (six wrist, five knee, five ankle). In the majority of cases (14/16) the fractures were already visible on the frontal view with only two fractures (one distal radius, one distal tibial) identified only by lateral projection on the blinded review. One fracture (distal tibia) was visible only on the frontal radiograph (not lateral view). The addition of lateral projection did not lead to overcalling of fractures in the remaining normal studies. Radiologist confidence scores showed an improvement with the addition of a lateral projection when a study was thought to be normal (p=0.001-0.003), but not when a fracture was identified (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The addition of lateral radiographs improves reporting confidence in normal skeletal surveys, but only rarely helped to detect additional fractures given that most were visible on frontal projections. Larger multicentre studies of clinical practice are required to confirm these findings.