Child Abuse Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Child Abuse, including details on family violence, examinations, long-term effects, psychiatrics disorders.

A multicentre and prospective study of suspected cases of child physical abuse.

Martrille L, Cattaneo C, Dorandeu A, Baccino E

Service de Médecine Légale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Hopital Lapeyronie, Avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295, Montpellier, Cedex 5, France, l-martrille@chu-montpellier.fr.

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.

Published 17 February 2006 in Int J Legal Med, 120(2): 73-8.
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