A multicentre and prospective study of suspected cases of child physical abuse.
In this multicentre prospective study, the authors aim to describe the social and clinical characteristics of a population of children who arrived with a suspicion of physical abuse at five Emergency Services across France and who underwent clinical and thorough radiological screening according to a common predetermined protocol. A total of 185 cases of children seen at the Emergency units of five French hospitals over a 4-year period was assessed via a specific protocol and included in this study. The results of this study show socio-cultural factors consistent with previous reports on abused populations, and in particular give interesting data concerning the type and severity of lesions present, on the whole, in 80% of the population studied. In particular this study revealed a high prevalence (30%) of bone fractures. Apart from giving a perspective on the French population, this study adds some information to the too few preexisting studies of its kind-and stresses the importance of effective identification of possible cases of child abuse and of a thorough and sensitive screening protocol.
Martrille
L
L
Service de Médecine Légale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Hopital Lapeyronie, Avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France. l-martrille@chu-montpellier.fr
Cattaneo
C
C
Dorandeu
A
A
Baccino
E
E
D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology