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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: We examined differences in characteristics between abusive head trauma (AHT) and physical abuse (PA).
METHODS: We examined 45 AHT cases and 119 PA cases during the period from April 1, 2000, to March 31, 2014, at Kanagawa Children's Medical Center (Kanagawa, Japan). We compared patient age, young maternal or parental age, being the first child, child factors (chronic illness, developmental disabilities and preterm birth), parental factors (substance abuse/alcohol abuse and depression or other mental illness), environmental factors (single-parent home, non-biologically related male living in the home and family or intimate partner violence). Logistic regression was used to examine predictors of differences between AHT and PA for children less than one year of age.
RESULTS: There were differences in characteristics between AHT and PA in those less than one year old in child factors [odds ratio (OR), 3.47; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01 - 11.9] and environmental factors (OR, 14.2; CI, 1.45 - 139).
CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors for AHT differed from those of PA. We speculate that AHT is not merely physical abuse of young infants; the characteristics of AHT differ significantly from those of PA. These observations are important for understanding and thereby preventing child abuse.
Language: en |