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.

Evaluating infants and young children with multiple fractures.

Jenny C,

Infants and toddlers with multiple unexplained fractures are often victims of inflicted injury. However, several medical conditions can also cause multiple fractures in children in this age group. In this report, the differential diagnosis of multiple fractures is presented, and diagnostic testing available to the clinician is discussed. The hypothetical entity "temporary brittle-bone disease" is examined also. Although frequently offered in court cases as a cause of multiple infant fractures, there is no evidence that this condition actually exists.

Published 4 September 2006 in Pediatrics, 118(3): 1299-303.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Child Abuse Research Today. All Rights Reserved.