title: Infant abusive head trauma - incidence, outcomes and awareness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abusive head trauma of infants is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The incidence in Australia has been estimated at 29.6 cases of abusive head trauma for which hospital admission is required per 100 000 infants aged 0-24 months and under per year; more frequent than low speed runovers, drowning and childhood neoplasms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article provides a review of the significant incidence and outcomes of abusive head trauma and seeks to raise awareness of the potential of evidence based interventions to reduce infant injury and its consequences in the community.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An evidence based program, the Period of PURPLE Crying®, has been shown to reduce infant injury. An evaluation of the suitability of program materials for different cultural groups in Australia needs to be assessed. Such a scoping project is proposed as a necessary prerequisite to a pilot clinical intervention.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Women's Health Unit, Cairns Base Hospital, Queensland, Australia. william.liley@gmail.com
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liley
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaltner
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larkins
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: Komla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsey
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001364:Awareness; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant