title: Blunt trauma of the abdomen in children.
abstract: Abdominal trauma in children is usually due to motor vehicle accidents or falls, but child abuse is also a common cause. Injuries to the small intestine are particularly worrisome because symptoms may not appear for hours, days, or even weeks. This can cause significant difficulty for the investigator trying to determine when an injury occurred, or who may have caused it.
authors.affiliation: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Concord, NH.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Fossum
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Descheneaux
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000473:pathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000209:etiology*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*