Friday, February, 10, 2012

Battered child syndrome

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Battered child syndrome; Physical abuse - children


Symptoms

An adult may bring an injured child to an emergency room with a strange explanation of the cause of the injury. The child's injury may not be recent.

Symptoms include:

  • Black eyes
  • Broken bones that are unusual and unexplained
  • Bruise marks shaped like hands, fingers, or objects (such as a belt)
  • Bruises in areas where normal childhood activities would not usually result in bruising
  • Bulging fontanelle (soft spot) or separated sutures in an infant's skull
  • Burn (scalding) marks, usually seen on the child's hands, arms, or buttocks
  • Choke marks around the neck
  • Cigarette burns on exposed areas or on the genitals
  • Circular marks around the wrists or ankles (signs of twisting or tying up)
  • Human bite marks
  • Lash marks
  • Unexplained unconsciousness in an infant
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Review Date: 01/24/2011
Reviewed By: Jennifer K. Mannheim, ARNP, Medical STaff, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Seattle Children's Hospital; and Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)