Child Abuse Part 2: Sentinel Injuries and Infant Abuse

Course overview

Practitioners in primary care, particularly Pediatrics and Family Medicine, are uniquely poised to not only detect but also to prevent child abuse. In addition to primary care, practitioners in other acute-care specialties and environments bear the responsibility for early identification and reporting of suspected child abuse. These practice environments include Emergency Departments, Urgent Care centers, and clinics. Child physical abuse exists in all corners of the country and affects children of all ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups. The recognition and identification of child abuse is not an easy task. Not all practitioners are aware of the risk factors for abuse nor are they knowledgeable regarding the "sentinel injuries" that represent just the tip of the child abuse iceberg. In this activity, we cover 2 key child abuse topics - sentinel injuries and the abuse of infants, with particular attention paid to the injury known as abusive head trauma. After completing this activity, learners should be able to: classify sentinel injuries in infants and interpret their significance; and differentiate the features of accidental head trauma from abusive head trauma.