Micro-CT in a forensic examination of a fatal child abuse case: A case report.

Child abuse is a serious concern that can cause the death of a child. In such cases the medico-legal evidence is often pivotal but complex, drawing across multiple medical disciplines and techniques. One key specialism is histopathology, which is considered the gold standard for estimating the age of individual fractures. Another is micro-CT imaging, which can visualise the location of trauma across the body. This case report demonstrates how micro-CT was used to contextualise the histological evidence in the Criminal Justice Proceedings of a fatal child abuse case. This was achieved by overlaying the aged fracture evidence from histopathology onto the visuals rendered from micro-CT imaging. The case was a suspected child abuse of a deceased 1-month old infant who was reported unresponsive by their parents. The child was taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead. Suspicion was raised and post-mortem imaging confirmed head trauma and rib fractures, and the case was escalated for a forensic investigation. This case report details how the micro-CT imaging was merged with the gold standard of histopathology for visualisation of trauma, and how the court presentation was planned alongside Senior Investigating Officers and various medical experts. The presentation was used in court by the histopathologist to present the evidence. The resulting presentation provided additional clarity to jury members regarding the location, severity, frequency, and timings of the injuries. From the perspective of the investigating police force, the resulting presentation was crucial in ensuring understanding of the medico-legal evidence of how the infant died. The prosecuting lawyer noted that combining the histological and micro-CT evidence in this way allowed the evidence to be presented in a sensitive, clear, and impactful manner.

Early identification and awareness of child abuse and neglect among physicians and teachers.

BACKGROUND: Child abuse and neglect (CAN) causes enormous suffering for those affected. OBJECTIVE: The study investigated the current state of knowledge concerning the recognition of CAN and protocols for suspected cases amongst physicians and teachers. METHODS: In a pilot study conducted in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania from May 2020 to June 2021, we invited teachers and physicians working with children to complete an online questionnaire containing mainly multiple-choice-questions. RESULTS: In total, 45 physicians and 57 teachers responded. Altogether, 84% of physicians and 44% of teachers were aware of cases in which CAN had occurred in the context of their professional activity. Further, 31% of physicians and 23% of teachers stated that specific instructions on CAN did not exist in their professional institution or that they were not aware of them. All physicians and 98% of teachers were in favor of mandatory training on CAN for pediatric residents and trainee teachers. Although 13% of physicians and 49% of teachers considered a discussion of a suspected case of CAN to constitute a breach of confidentiality, 87% of physicians and 60% of teachers stated that they would discuss a suspected case with colleagues. CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that a large proportion of respondents had already been confronted with suspected cases of CAN, further guidelines for reporting procedures and training seem necessary. There is still uncertainty in both professions on dealing with cases of suspected CAN.

Impacts on paediatricians testifying in cases of child maltreatment: protocol for a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Paediatricians perform medical assessments for children in cases of suspected child maltreatment. Due to their role with statutory child protection agencies and police, paediatricians may be asked to testify in court about child protection and criminal justice matters. To the authors' knowledge, there has been no previous systematic review of the literature synthesising the evidence on the impacts on paediatricians testifying in cases of child maltreatment. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A search strategy comprising indexed and key terms will be applied to six electronic reference databases from inception to May 2023: Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Criminal Justice Abstracts and Cochrane Library. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts and full-text articles against predefined eligibility criteria to identify studies of interest. Conflicts will be independently adjudicated by a third reviewer. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Since the systematic review methodology aims at synthesising information from available publications, this study does not require ethical approval. An article reporting the results of the systematic review will be submitted for publication in a scientific journal, presented at relevant conferences and used in subsequent stakeholder consultations.

Medical and Legal Uncertainties and Controversies in "Shaken Baby Syndrome" or Infant "Abusive Head Trauma".

Uncertainties and controversies surround "shaken baby syndrome" or infant "abusive head trauma". We explore Vinaccia v The Queen (2022) 70 VR 36; [2022] VSCA 107 and other selected cases from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. On expert opinion alone, a "triad" of clinical signs (severe retinal haemorrhages, subdural haematoma and encephalopathy) is dogmatically attributed diagnostically to severe deliberate shaking with or without head trauma. However, the evidence for this mechanism is of the lowest scientific level and of low to very low quality and therefore unreliable. Consequently, expert opinion should not determine legal outcomes in prosecuted cases. Expert witnesses should reveal the basis of their opinions and the uncertainties and controversies of the diagnosis. Further, the reliability of admissions of guilt while in custody should be considered cautiously. We suggest abandonment of the inherently inculpatory diagnostic terms "shaken baby syndrome" and "abusive head trauma" and their appropriate replacement with "infantile retinodural haemorrhage".

Child abuse and pubertal timing: what is the role of child sex and identity of the perpetrator?

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the association between child abuse [child neglect (CN), emotional (CEA) and physical abuse (CPA)] and early puberty with special regard to sex-specific effects concerning child and parental perpetrator. METHODS: Data assessment took place within the framework of the LIFE Child Depression study, a longitudinal study on the development of depressive symptoms and disorders between child- and adulthood in Leipzig, Germany. A sample of 709 children (8-14 years) was recruited from the general population and via psychiatric hospitals. Data on pubertal status were assessed using an instrument for self-assessment of tanner stages (scales of physical pubertal development). Information on menarche was provided by parents. The Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-PC) served for data on child abuse. RESULTS: Regarding physical puberty markers, significant correlations were found, especially with child neglect (CN) and child emotional abuse (CEA). Regression analyses, controlling for Body-Mass-Index (BMI) and Socioeconomic Status (SES), revealed that children affected by child neglect perpetrated by mother (CNm) and child emotional abuse (CEA) parent-non-specifically enter puberty significantly earlier. Sex-specific analyses identified child neglect perpetrated by mother (CNm) to be associated with early puberty in girls and child emotional abuse perpetrated by father (CEAf) with early puberty in boys. Concerning the onset of menstruation, there was a significant positive correlation between early menarche and parent-specific and non-specific child neglect (CN), as well as between early menarche and child emotional abuse perpetrated by the mother (CEAm). In regression models that controlled for Body-Mass-Index (BMI) and Socioeconomic Status (SES) no significant associations were maintained. Child physical abuse (CPA) was not associated with early puberty. CONCLUSION: Results outlined child neglect (CN) and child emotional abuse (CEA) to be sex- and perpetrator-specific risk factors for early pubertal development. Knowledge of sex- and perpetrator-specific effects could help clinicians to specify their diagnostic process and to define differential prevention and treatment goals for children with experiences of CN and CEA. Further research on the sex-specific impact of parental CN and CEA on girls' and boys' puberty is needed.

Validation of the PediBIRN-7 clinical prediction rule for pediatric abusive head trauma.

BACKGROUND: The PediBIRN-7 clinical prediction rule incorporates the (positive or negative) predictive contributions of completed abuse evaluations to estimate abusive head trauma (AHT) probability after abuse evaluation. Applying definitional criteria as proxies for AHT and non-AHT ground truth, it performed with sensitivity 0.73 (95 % CI: 0.66-0.79), specificity 0.87 (95 % CI: 0.82-0.90), and ROC-AUC 0.88 (95 % CI: 0.85-0.92) in its derivation study. OBJECTIVE: To validate the PediBIRN-7's AHT prediction performance in a novel, equivalent, patient population. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS: Consecutive, acutely head-injured children <3 years hospitalized for intensive care across eight sites between 2017 and 2020 with completed skeletal surveys and retinal exams (N = 342). METHODS: Secondary analysis of an existing, cross-sectional, prospective dataset, including assignment of patient-specific estimates of AHT probability, calculation of AHT prediction performance measures (ROC-AUC, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values), and completion of sensitivity analyses to estimate best- and worst-case prediction performances. RESULTS: Applying the same definitional criteria, the PediBIRN-7 performed with sensitivity 0.74 (95 % CI: 0.66-0.81), specificity 0.77 (95 % CI: 0.70-0.83), and ROC-AUC 0.83 (95 % CI: 0.78-0.88). The reduction in ROC-AUC was statistically insignificant (p = .07). Applying physicians' final consensus diagnoses as proxies for AHT and non-AHT ground truth, the PediBIRN-7 performed with sensitivity 0.73 (95 % CI: 0.66-0.79), specificity 0.87 (95 % CI: 0.82-0.90), and ROC-AUC 0.90 (95 % CI: 0.87-0.94). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated minimal changes in rule performance. CONCLUSION: The PediBIRN-7's overall AHT prediction performance has been validated in a novel, equivalent, patient population. Its patient-specific estimates of AHT probability can inform physicians' AHT-related diagnostic reasoning after abuse evaluation.

Improving access to child abuse evaluations through innovation & telemedicine.

Many children and families do not have access to specialized pediatric health care, including child abuse pediatricians. Medical evaluations in cases of suspected child maltreatment including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect are a critical component of the multidisciplinary team response to these concerns. We review the role of child abuse pediatricians in cases of suspected child maltreatment. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of current models of care including co-location of child abuse specialists within children's advocacy centers, hospital-based medical evaluation programs and community-based clinics. We review barriers to universal and equitable access to specialized care. We then highlight the significance of telemedicine as an important tool for improving access to care for children who would not otherwise have access.

Developing and Testing the Usability of a Novel Child Abuse Clinical Decision Support System: Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the impact of physical abuse on children, it is often underdiagnosed, especially among children evaluated in general emergency departments (EDs) and those belonging to racial or ethnic minority groups. Electronic clinical decision support (CDS) can improve the recognition of child physical abuse. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop and test the usability of a natural language processing-based child abuse CDS system, known as the Child Abuse Clinical Decision Support (CA-CDS), to alert ED clinicians about high-risk injuries suggestive of abuse in infants' charts. METHODS: Informed by available evidence, a multidisciplinary team, including an expert in user design, developed the CA-CDS prototype that provided evidence-based recommendations for the evaluation and management of suspected child abuse when triggered by documentation of a high-risk injury. Content was customized for medical versus nursing providers and initial versus subsequent exposure to the alert. To assess the usability of and refine the CA-CDS, we interviewed 24 clinicians from 4 EDs about their interactions with the prototype. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 5 main categories of themes emerged from the study. CA-CDS benefits included providing an extra layer of protection, providing evidence-based recommendations, and alerting the entire clinical ED team. The user-centered, workflow-compatible design included soft-stop alert configuration, editable and automatic documentation, and attention-grabbing formatting. Recommendations for improvement included consolidating content, clearer design elements, and adding a hyperlink with additional resources. Barriers to future implementation included alert fatigue, hesitancy to change, and concerns regarding documentation. Facilitators of future implementation included stakeholder buy-in, provider education, and sharing the test characteristics. On the basis of user feedback, iterative modifications were made to the prototype. CONCLUSIONS: With its user-centered design and evidence-based content, the CA-CDS can aid providers in the real-time recognition and evaluation of infant physical abuse and has the potential to reduce the number of missed cases.

Knowledge and experience of pediatricians and pedodontists in identifying and managing child abuse and neglect cases.

Child abuse, by definition parents and other family members, caregivers, or any adult he does not know culturally inappropriate, harmful to the child described, inhibiting growth and development, or exposure to a restrictive behavior. This study aims to evaluate the capabilities of pediatricians and pedodontists in identifying and managing child abuse and neglect within healthcare settings, a crucial responsibility for professionals across various medical disciplines. Questionnaire was performed on 53 pediatricians and 89 pedodontists. Utilizing a 28-item expert-designed electronic questionnaire, the study solicited responses from pediatricians and pedodontists to assess their demographic characteristics, professional experience, and self-perceived competence in this critical area. The results indicate that 42% of the participating healthcare providers have encountered at least one case of child abuse and neglect. Notably, pedodontists displayed a higher level of uncertainty in identifying abuse and neglect cases compared to pediatricians. Furthermore, participants who had a higher level of self-perceived competence were significantly more willing to identify and manage cases, although this self-assessment did not correlate with their actual skills or level of willingness to intervene effectively. The study concludes that there is a pressing need for specialized training programs tailored to enhance the skill sets of healthcare providers in identifying and managing child abuse and neglect. These programs should encompass not only academic knowledge but also practical applications and psychosocial support techniques to ensure a holistic approach to combating this serious issue.

Development, contributions, and future directions of a multicenter child abuse research network.

CAPNET is a multicenter child abuse pediatrics research network developed to support research that will make the medical care of potentially abused children more effective, safe, and fair. CAPNET currently collects detailed clinical data from child physical abuse evaluations from 11 leading pediatric centers across the U.S. From its inception, the goal of CAPNET was to support multiple research studies addressing the care of children undergoing evaluations for physical abuse and to create a flexible data collection and quality assurance system to be a resource for the wider community of child maltreatment l researchers. Annually, CAPNET collects rich clinical data on over 4000 children evaluated due to concerns for physical abuse. CAPNET's data are well-suited to studies improving the standardization, equity, and accuracy of evaluations in the medical setting when child physical abuse is suspected. Here we describe CAPNET's development, content, lessons learned, and potential future directions of the network.

Development of a rating scale for maladaptive symptoms by maltreatment: Perspectives of attachment and dissociation.

Child abuse has been increasing in Japan. Abused children's behavior may often be confused with neurodevelopmental disorders; therefore, specialized tools to identify these cases and specific care for maltreatment are crucial. This study aimed to develop an objective early screening scale for abuse-related maladaptive symptoms. To do this, two surveys were conducted. Survey 1 included 60 children attending public elementary schools, who had been admitted to orphanages due to abuse (maltreated group), and 154 children attending public elementary schools with no reported maltreatment (control group). In this survey, 40 existing scale items related to attachment behavior and dissociative symptoms were evaluated. Childcare staff and homeroom teachers evaluated children's behaviors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to determine optimal cut-off values. In Survey 2, 39 children in the maltreatment group and 186 children in the control group were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis to examine the new scale's reliability and validity. Based on the results of an exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor, 20-item rating scale for maladaptive symptoms due to maltreatment (RS-MSM) was developed. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that cutoff values set in Survey 1 were appropriate for screening the general population and children in the clinical range. The results confirmed a two-factor structure with high reliability and convergent validity in the Survey 2 sample. Therefore, the developed RS-MSM scale is valid and will allow for easy screening of maltreated children at school.

Dermatitis versus nonaccidental trauma: A systematic review of initial pediatric misdiagnoses.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Pediatric dermatitis and nonaccidental trauma (NAT) may have overlapping cutaneous presentations, posing a risk of misdiagnosis and subsequent emotional distress and further harm. Through a systematic literature review, we reviewed pediatric (<18 years old) patients investigated for both dermatitis and NAT. METHODS: EMBASE and MEDLINE databases were searched. English publications with original data involving pediatric patients investigated for both dermatitis and NAT were included. Nonhuman studies and incomplete articles/conference abstracts were excluded. Data extracted included the first author, year of publication, study design, participant count, sex of the population, age of the population, cutaneous presentation, timing of presentation, Child Protective Services involvement, and case relation to dermatitis and NAT. RESULTS: This review included 21 case reports or series encompassing 29 patients. Among 26 patients initially investigated as NAT (26.9% involving Child Protective Services), final diagnoses included irritant contact dermatitis (53.8%), phytophotodermatitis (30.8%), allergic contact dermatitis (7.7%), perianal infectious dermatitis (3.8%), and atopic dermatitis (3.8%). Three patients initially diagnosed with nontraumatic dermatitis were later found to be victims of physical (2/3; 66.7%) or sexual abuse (1/3; 33.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Effective history-taking and physical examinations should encompass a history of laxative use, contact with furocoumarin-containing plants/fruit, parallel family/peer cutaneous presentations, caregiver involvement, financial burden, patient discomfort, birthmark assessment, and lesions aligning with diaper borders or toilet seats. Limitations of this review include potential underreporting and the inclusion of low-quality study designs and evidence.

Evaluating Outcomes of Nonaccidental Trauma in Military Children.

BACKGROUND: Nonaccidental trauma (NAT), or child abuse, is a leading cause of childhood injury and death in the US. Studies demonstrate that military-affiliated individuals are at greater risk of mental health complication and family violence, including child maltreatment. There is limited information about the outcomes of military children who experience NAT. This study compares the outcomes between military-dependent and civilian children diagnosed with NAT. STUDY DESIGN: A single-institution, retrospective review of children admitted with confirmed NAT at a Level I trauma center was performed. Data were collected from the institutional trauma registry and the Child Abuse Team's database. Military affiliation was identified using insurance status and parental or caregiver self-reported active-duty status. Demographic and clinical data including hospital length of stay (LOS), morbidity, specialty consult, and mortality were compared. RESULTS: Among 535 patients, 11.8% (n = 63) were military-affiliated. The median age of military-associated patients, 3 months (interquartile range [IQR] 1 to 7), was significantly younger than civilian patients, 7 months (IQR 3 to 18, p < 0.001). Military-affilif:ated patients had a longer LOS of 4 days (IQR 2 to 11) vs 2 days (IQR 1 to 7, p = 0.041), increased morbidity or complication (3 vs 2 counts, p = 0.002), and a higher mortality rate (10% vs 4%, p = 0.048). No significant difference was observed in the number of consults or injuries, trauma activation, or need for surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Military-affiliated children diagnosed with NAT experience more adverse outcomes than civilian patients. Increased LOS, morbidity or complication, and mortality suggest military-affiliated patients experience more life-threatening NAT at a younger age. Larger studies are required to further examine this population and better support at-risk families.

The shifting trends in the epidemiology and risk factors of non-accidental fractures in children.

BACKGROUND: Fractures are a common presentation of non-accidental trauma (NAT) in the pediatric population. However, the presentation could be subtle, and a high degree of suspicion is needed not to miss NAT. OBJECTIVE: To analyze a comprehensive database, providing insights into the epidemiology of fractures associated with NAT. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The TriNetX Research Network was utilized for this study, containing medical records from 55 healthcare organizations. TriNetX was queried for all visits in children under the age of 6 years from 2015 to 2022, resulting in a cohort of over 32 million. METHODS: All accidental and non-accidental fractures were extracted and analyzed to determine the incidence, fracture location, and demographics of NAT. Statistical analysis was done on a combination of Python and Epipy. RESULTS: Overall, 0.36 % of all pediatric patients had a diagnosis of NAT, and 4.93 % of fractures (34,038 out of 689,740 total fractures) were determined to be non-accidental. Skull and face fractures constituted 17.9 % of all NAT fractures, but rib/sternum fractures had an RR = 6.7 for NAT. Children with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had a 9 times higher risk for non-accidental fractures. The number of non-accidental fractures significantly increased after 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that nearly 1 out of all 20 fractures in children under age 6 are caused by NAT, and that rib/sternum fractures are most predictive of an inflicted nature. The study also showed a significant increase in the incidence of NAT, during and after the pandemic.

Child Health Needs and the Child Abuse Pediatrics Workforce: 2020-2040.

Child abuse pediatrics (CAP) subspecialists evaluate, diagnose, and treat children when abuse or neglect is suspected. Despite the high rates of child maltreatment across the United States, CAP remains the smallest pediatric subspecialty. The CAP workforce faces numerous challenges, including few fellows entering the field, decreased financial compensation compared with other fields of medicine, and threats to workforce retention, including secondary trauma and harmful exposure in the media. A microsimulation model that estimates the future of the US CAP workforce over the next 20 years shows that, although the number of child abuse pediatricians in the field is expected to increase, the growth is smaller than that of every other pediatric subspecialty. In addition to the low overall CAP workforce in the United States, other workforce issues include the need to increase CAP subspecialists who are underrepresented in medicine and unequal geographic distribution across the country. To meet the medical needs of suspected victims of maltreatment, especially in CAP-underserved areas, many children are evaluated by providers who are not board-certified in CAP, such as general pediatricians, family medicine physicians, emergency medicine physicians, and advanced practice providers, whose CAP experience and training may vary. Current child abuse pediatricians should continue introducing the field to medical students and residents, especially those who identify as underrepresented in medicine or are from CAP-underserved areas, and offer mentorship, continuing education, and oversight to non-CAP physicians meeting this population's medical needs.