New Study reinforces the power of CT to help answer questions in child abuse

A study published recently in the October issue of Pediatrics suggests that there might be many clinical markers that can help in distinguishing abusive from non-abusive head trauma particularly in young children. In this study the researchers from Japan compared characteristics of both abusive and non-abusive head trauma where computed tomography was widely and more easily available.

Dr. Takeo Fujiwara from the National Institute of Public Health in Saitama, Japan and his colleagues have written that distinguishing head trauma particularly in young children from other normal diseases by symptoms is very difficult in actual practice.

The researchers conducted a retrospective medical chart of around two hundred and sixty children between the age of 0 to 2 years, and who were at the “National Center for Child Health and Development” in the capital city Tokyo. And the same also underwent Computed Tomography scanning because of head injury. Of the two hundred and sixty cases, twenty eight were classified under abusive head trauma.

The results showed that Children with the abusive head trauma were very significantly younger than children with the non-abusive head trauma.


By Susan Huang, MD
radRounds Writer
November 4, 2008

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