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Examine the epidemiology of subspecialty physical abuse evaluations within CAPNET, a multicenter child abuse pediatrics research network.We conducted a cross-sectional study of children10 years old who underwent an evaluation (in-person or remote) by a child abuse pediatrician (CAP) due to concerns for physical abuse at ten CAPNET hospital systems from February 2021 through December 2021.Among 3667 patients with 3721 encounters, 69.4% were3 years old; 44.3%1 year old, 59.1% male; 27.1% Black; 57.8% White, 17.0% Hispanic; and 71.0 % had public insurance. The highest level of care was outpatient/emergency department in 60.7%, inpatient unit in 28.0% and intensive care in 11.4%. CAPS performed 79.1% in-person consultations and 20.9% remote consultations. Overall, the most frequent injuries were bruises (35.2%), fractures (29.0%), and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) (16.2%). Abdominal (1.2%) and spine injuries (1.6%) were uncommon. TBI was diagnosed in 30.6% of infants but only 8.4% of 1-year old children. In 68.2% of cases a report to child protective services (CPS) was made prior to CAP consultation; in 12.4% a report was made after CAP consultation. CAPs reported no concern for abuse in 43.0% of cases and mild / intermediate concern in 22.3%. Only 14.2% were categorized as definite abuse.Most children in CAPNET were3 years old with bruises, fractures, or intracranial injuries. CPS reports were frequently made prior to CAP consultation. CAPs had a low level of concern for abuse in majority of cases.

Objective To describe the relative risk for a physical abuse hospitalization among substance exposed infants (SEI) with and without neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Methods We created a nationally representative US birth cohort using the 2013 and 2014 Nationwide Readmissions Databases. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes were used to identify newborns, predictor variables, and subsequent hospitalizations for physical abuse within 6 months of discharge from newborns’ birth hospitalization. Predictor variables included newborn demographics, prematurity or low birth weight, and intrauterine substance exposure: non-SEI, SEI without NAS, and SEI with NAS. Multiple logistic regression calculated adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. A subanalysis of newborns with narcotic exposure was performed. Results There were 3,740,582 newborns in the cohort; of which 13,024 (0.4%) were SEI without NAS and 20,196 (0.5%) SEI with NAS. Overall, 1247 (0.03%) newborns were subsequently hospitalized for physical abuse within 6 months. Compared to non-SEI, SEI with NAS (adjusted relative risks: 3.84 [95% confidence intervals: 2.79–5.28]) were at increased risk for having a subsequent hospitalization for physical abuse, but SEI without NAS were not. A similar pattern was observed among narcotic-exposed infants; infants with NAS due to narcotics were at increased risk, but narcotic-exposed infants without NAS were not. Conclusions Our results suggest that newborns diagnosed with NAS are at increased risk of physical abuse during early infancy, above that of substance-exposed infants without NAS. These results should improve the identification of higher-risk infants who may benefit from more rigorous safety planning and follow-up care

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the hypothesis that viral meningitis may mimic abusive head trauma (AHT) by comparing the history of present illness (HPI) and clinical presentation of young children with proven viral meningitis to those with AHT and those with subdural hemorrhage (SDH) only. We hypothesized that significant differences would exist between viral meningitis and the comparison groups. METHODS We performed a 5-year retrospective case-control study of subjects aged RESULTS Of 550 subjects, there were 397 viral meningitis, 118 AHT, and 35 SDH-only subjects. Viral meningitis differed significantly from AHT subjects on all demographic measures, and from SDH-only subjects on age. Viral meningitis differed significantly from AHT subjects in all HPI measures with odds ratios ranging from 2.7 to 322.5, and from SDH-only subjects in 9 HPI measures with odds ratios ranging from 4.6 to 485.2. In the clinical domain, viral meningitis differed significantly from AHT subjects in all measures, with odds ratios ranging from 2.5 to 74.0, and from SDH-only subjects in 5 measures with odds ratios ranging from 2.9 to 16.8. CONCLUSIONS Viral meningitis is not supported as a mimic of AHT.

BACKGROUND To determine the association between states’ total spending on benefit programs and child maltreatment outcomes. METHODS This was an ecological study of all US states during federal fiscal years 2010–2017. The primary predictor was states’ total annual spending on local, state, and federal benefit programs per person living ≤100% federal poverty limit, which was the sum of (1) cash, housing, and in-kind assistance, (2) housing infrastructure, (3) child care assistance, (4) refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, and (5) Medical Assistance Programs. The main outcomes were rates of maltreatment reporting, substantiations, foster care placements, and fatalities after adjustment for relevant confounders. Generalized estimating equations adjusted for federal spending and estimated adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS States’ total spending was inversely associated with all maltreatment outcomes. For each additional $1000 states spent on benefit programs per person living in poverty, there was an associated −4.3% (adjusted IRR: 0.9573 [95% CI: 0.9486 to 0.9661]) difference in reporting, −4.0% (adjusted IRR: 0.903 [95% CI: 0.9534 to 0.9672]) difference in substantiations, −2.1% (adjusted IRR: 0.9795 [95% CI: 0.9759 to 0.9832]) difference in foster care placements, and −7.7% (adjusted IRR: 0.9229 [95% CI: 0.9128 to 0.9330]) difference in fatalities. In 2017, extrapolating $1000 of additional spending for each person living in poverty ($46.5 billion nationally, or 13.3% increase) might have resulted in 181 850 fewer reports, 28 575 fewer substantiations, 4168 fewer foster care placements, and 130 fewer fatalities. CONCLUSIONS State spending on benefit programs was associated with reductions in child maltreatment, which might offset some benefit program costs.

To describe the percentage and characteristics of children aged24 months with non-motor vehicle crash (MVC)-related injuries who undergo a skeletal survey and have occult fractures.We performed a retrospective chart review of a stratified, systematic random sample of 1769 children aged24 months with non-MVC-related bruises, burns, fractures, abdominal injuries, and head injuries at 4 children's hospitals between 2008 and 2012. Sampling weights were assigned to each child to allow for representative hospital-level population estimates. Logistic regression models were used to test for associations between patient characteristics with outcomes of skeletal survey completion and occult fracture identification.Skeletal surveys were performed in 46.3% of children aged 0 to 5 months, in 21.1% of those aged 6 to 11 months, in 8.0% of those aged 12 to 17 months, and in 6.2% of those aged 18 to 24 months. Skeletal surveys were performed most frequently in children with traumatic brain injuries (64.7%) and rib fractures (100%) and least frequently in those with burns (2.1%) and minor head injuries (4.4%). In adjusted analyses, older age, private insurance, and reported history of accidental trauma were associated with decreased skeletal survey use (P ≤ .001 for all). The prevalence of occult fractures on skeletal surveys ranged from 24.6% in children aged 0 to 5months to 3.6% in those aged 18 to 24 months, and varied within age categories based on the presenting injury (P.001).The high rate of occult fractures in infants aged 0 to 5 months underscores the importance of increasing the use of skeletal surveys in this population. Further research is needed to identify the injury characteristics of older infants and toddlers most at risk for occult fractures.

The pediatric subspecialty of Child Abuse Pediatrics (CAP) was certified by the American Board of Medical Subspecialties in 2006. Relative to its impact on pediatric health, CAP-focused research has been relatively under-funded. Multi-center networks related to CAP-focused research have made important advances, but have been limited in scope and duration. CAPNET is multi-center network whose mission is to support CAP-focused research.To describe the rationale, development, and scope of the CAPNET research network infrastructure, the CAPNET data registry and associated data resources.Based on existing priorities for CAP-focused research, we used consensus building and iterative testing to establish inclusion criteria, common data elements, data quality assurance, and data sharing processes for children with concerns of physical abuse.We describe the rationale, methods and intended scope for the development of the CAPNET research network and data registry. CAPNET is currently abstracting data for children10 years (120 months) old who undergo sub-specialty evaluation for physical abuse at 10 US pediatric centers (approximately 4000 evaluations/year total) using an online data capture form. Data domains include: demographics; visit timing and providers, medical/social history, presentation, examination findings, laboratory and radiographic testing, diagnoses, outcomes, and data for contact children. We describe the methods and criteria for collecting and validating data which are broadly available to CAP investigators.CAPNET represents a new data resource for the CAP research community and will increase the quantity and quality of CAP-focused research.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Hospital-wide patient safety programs have been used to ensure appropriate provision of care. Similar approaches have not been widely applied to child maltreatment. In this study, we describe a hospital-system child maltreatment safety program by characterizing the frequency of patients needing further intervention, associations between the age of patient and location of care and need for further intervention, and patients who require immediate intervention. METHODS For all staff concerns for child maltreatment, a social worker completed a patient at risk (PAR) form. All PAR forms were reviewed within 24 hours by the child abuse team and categorized on the basis of 6 types of interventions, most significantly an “immediate callback.” Wilcoxon rank and χ2 tests were used for group comparisons. RESULTS Over a 30-month period, program interventions occurred in 2061 of 7698 PARs (26.8%). The most common reason for a PAR form was physical abuse (32.5%). Subjects requiring an intervention were no different in age than those who did not (median age: 5.6 vs 5.2 years). PAR forms performed in the emergency departments or urgent care were more likely to require an intervention than inpatient (odds ratio: 4.4; 95% confidence interval 3.6–5.3) or clinic (odds ratio: 2.0; 95% confidence interval 1.7–2.3) PAR forms. Of the 53 immediate callbacks, potential diagnostic errors and safe discharge concerns occurred in nearly one-half, and >40% involved subjects with bruising. Immediate follow-up in the child abuse pediatrician clinic occurred in 87% (46 of 53) of cases, resulting in a new or changed diagnosis in 57% of such cases. CONCLUSIONS A child maltreatment safety program encompassing a health system can identify and address medical errors.

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) practices and cervical spine injuries among young children with non-motor vehicle crash (MVC)-associated traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods We performed a retrospective study of a stratified, systematic random sample of 328 children younger than 2 years with non-MVC-associated TBI at 4 urban children's hospitals from 2008 to 2012. We defined TBI etiology as accidental, indeterminate, or abuse. We reported the proportion, by etiology, who underwent cervical MRI or CT, and had cervical abnormalities identified. Results Of children with non-MVC-associated TBI, 39.4% had abusive head trauma (AHT), 52.2% had accidental TBI, and in 8.4% the etiology was indeterminate. Advanced cervical imaging (CT and/or MRI) was obtained in 19.1% of all children with TBI, with 9.3% undergoing MRI and 11.7% undergoing CT. Cervical MRI or CT was performed in 30.9% of children with AHT, in 11.7% of accidental TBI, and in 10.7% of indeterminate-cause TBI. Among children imaged by MRI or CT, abnormal cervical findings were found in 22.1%, including 31.3% of children with AHT, 7.1% of children with accidental TBI, and 0% of children with indeterminate-cause TBI. Children with more severe head injuries who underwent cervical imaging were more likely to have cervical injuries. Conclusions Abusive head trauma victims appear to be at increased risk of cervical injuries. Prospective studies are needed to define the risk of cervical injury in children with TBI concerning for AHT and to inform development of imaging guidelines.

Background Retinal hemorrhages (RH) are a common manifestation of abusive head trauma (AHT) resulting from acceleration-deceleration injury with or without blunt impact. Evaluation of a child with RH requires careful consideration of these differential diagnoses. The extent to which coagulopathy alone can cause RH would be useful to understand as coagulopathy may accompany AHT. Objective In this systematic review, we sought to identify whether coagulopathies have been reported with RH similar to those of AHT. Methods We performed a literature search for ocular manifestations of bleeding disorders in children less than 18 years old. We included clotting factor deficiencies, vitamin K deficiency, platelet function abnormalities, thrombocytopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and trauma induced coagulopathy (TIC). We included only pediatric reports of intraocular bleeding or documented eye examinations that indicated no hemorrhages. We then re-examined cases for ocular and systemic findings that could potentially mimic abuse. Results Our initial search yielded 816 results. Sixty-one articles met our inclusion criteria. Of these, there were 32 children within the AHT age range (less than 5 years old) who had RH and concomitant coagulopathy. Only 5 cases might potentially be confused for abuse. Of these, no classic characteristics of RH from abuse such as retinoschisis or retinal folds were found. Systemic features were inconsistent with AHT. Conclusions The presence of coagulopathy alone does not rule out the possibility that the child has been abused. Coagulopathy alone has not been reported as an etiology of RH that are consistent with AHT, especially when other findings are present.

BACKGROUND: Abusive head injuries in infants may be occult but clinically or forensically important. Data conflict regarding yield of neuroimaging in detecting occult head injuries in infants evaluated for physical abuse, with prior studies identifying yields of 4.3–37.3 %. OBJECTIVES: (1) To quantify yield of computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in identification of occult head injuries in infants with concerns for physical abuse and (2) to evaluate risk factors for occult head injuries. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: We conducted a retrospective, stratified, random systematic sample of 529 infants < 12 months evaluated for physical abuse at 4 urban children’s hospitals in the United States from 2008–2012. Infants with signs or symptoms suggesting head injury or skull fracture on plain radiography (N = 359), and infants without neuroimaging (N = 1) were excluded. METHODS: Sampling weights were applied to calculate proportions of infants with occult head injuries. We evaluated for associations between hypothesized risk factors (age < 6 months, rib or extremity fracture, facial bruising) and occult head injury using chi-square tests. RESULTS: Of 169 neurologically normal infants evaluated for abuse, occult head injury was identified in 6.5 % (95 % CI: 2.6, 15.8). Infants < 6 months were at higher risk (9.7 %; 95 % CI: 3.6, 23.3) than infants 6–12 months (1.0 %; 95 % CI: 1.3, 20.2). Rib fracture, extremity fracture and facial bruising were not associated with occult head injury. CONCLUSIONS: Occult head injuries were less frequent than previously reported in some studies, but were identified in 1 in 10 infants

Background There is significant variability in Child Protective Services (CPS) utilization of medical-forensic experts. In 2016, Missouri legislation (HB 1877) mandated that CPS investigators submit screening forms to a Child Abuse Pediatrician (CAP) to review children Objective To measure compliance with HB 1877, hypothesizing that urban counties would have better compliance than rural counties. Participants and setting This retrospective study included evaluation of screening forms completed by Missouri CPS and submitted to Missouri CAPs during February, July and September of 2017. Methods Compliance was measured in three ways. Compliance Measure 1 (CM1) was the number of screening forms versus the number of eligible CPS investigations. Compliance Measure 2 (CM2) was the average number of days from an abuse report until form submission, and Compliance Measure 3 (CM3) was the percentage of forms with complete information. Urban and rural counties were classified by 2010 census data. t-Tests were used to compare compliance measures between urban and rural counties. Results Overall compliance with CM1 was 69% with 1496 screening forms submitted and 2170 child maltreatment investigations for children less than 4 years of age. For CM2, mean days from abuse report to form submission was 30 days. For CM3, 60.5% of statewide forms were complete. There was no significant difference between rural and urban county compliance. Conclusions Limited compliance with HB 1877 demonstrates the necessity of continued monitoring and improvement for optimal efficacy of legal mandates.

Background There exists a presumption that school closures lead to a diminished capacity to detect child maltreatment, but empiric evidence is lacking. Objective To determine if child maltreatment reporting and substantiation differ between periods when schools are routinely closed compared to in session. Participants and setting Child maltreatment reporting and substantiation among all U.S. States and the District of Columbia from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2017. Methods Two-week intervals during periods of routine school closure (early January, June through mid-August, late November, and late December) were compared to all other 2-week intervals. Negative binomial generalized estimating equations compared rates of reporting and substantiation, resulting in incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Compared to when school was in session, reporting was 16.0% (IRR 0.84 [95% CI: 0.83, 0.85]) lower during school closures and substantiations were 12.3% (IRR 0.88 [95% CI: 0.86, 0.89]) lower. The largest reductions in reporting were observed among education personnel (−42.1%; IRR 0.58 [95% CI: 0.54, 0.62]), children aged 5–17 years (−18.6%; IRR 0.81 [95% CI: 0.80, 0.83), and for physical abuse (−19.6%; IRR 0.80 [95% CI: 0.79, 0.82]). Reductions during closure periods were not matched by increases during two-week intervals immediately following closure periods. Conclusions Results suggest that the detection of child maltreatment may be diminished during periods of routine school closure. Findings may inform prevention planning and risk-benefit analyses for future school closures. Further study should disentangle the issue of decreased detection versus decreased prevalence of maltreatment during school closures.

The characteristic findings of abusive head trauma (AHT) include retinal hemorrhages (RH). RH have many etiologies in childhood, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of possible child abuse. The relationship between RH and thrombophilia in children is not well established.In this literature review, we sought to assess whether retinal findings in pediatric patients with thrombophilia could mimic those of AHT.A literature search was performed to identify all cases of thrombophilia in children less than 18 years old with ocular manifestations. Disorders of thrombophilia including protein C and S deficiency, factor V Leiden (FVL), prothrombin variant, MTHFR mutation, hyperhomocysteinemia, elevated factor VIII, and elevated lipoprotein (a) were considered. All cases of pediatric thrombophilia with retinal examination or intraocular bleeding were included. If provided, descriptions of the RH were reviewed.Our initial search yielded 514 results. Forty-three articles met our inclusion criteria. We identified 3 children with RH within the AHT usual age range (5 years old), ages 5 weeks and 7 weeks old, in the setting of thrombophilia. One child had ocular findings that could potentially mimic abuse. No other indicators of abuse were present in this case.Based on previous reports, thrombophilia alone has not been shown to clearly mimic abusive head trauma. In reported cases of thrombophilia with RH, the clinical picture and ophthalmic findings are usually distinct from abuse.

Apparent life-threatening events (ALTEs), often accompanied by choking, have been hypothesized to cause subdural hemorrhages (SDH), retinal hemorrhages, and brain injury. If the choking/ALTE hypothesis were true, children who present with ALTE and SDH would have fewer extracranial injuries suspicious for abuse than those with SDH and no ALTE. We aimed to compare the prevalence of suspicious extracranial injuries in children who have ALTE-associated SDH to those with non-ALTE SDH.We performed a 5-year retrospective case-control study of children2 years of age with SDH evaluated by the Child Abuse Pediatrics program at a children's hospital. Subjects were classified as ALTE-associated SDH and non-ALTE SDH on the basis of ALTE definitions as proposed by the authors of the choking/ALTE hypothesis. The 2 groups were compared for the prevalence of suspicious extracranial injuries.Of 170 study subjects, 64 had an ALTE-associated SDH and 106 had non-ALTE SDH. ALTE-associated SDH subjects were nearly 5 times more likely to have at least one suspicious extracranial injury (odds ratio [OR] 4.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-12.1) and were more likely to have individual types of suspicious extracranial injuries, including retinoschisis (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.6-10.2), high-specificity bruising (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.3-4.9), and internal abdominal injury (3.5, 95% CI 1.2-9.9). Subjects with ALTE-associated SDH were also significantly more likely to die or have persistent neurologic impairment. All 10 subjects with a dysphagic-choking type ALTE had at least 1 suspicious extracranial injury.ALTEs are not supported as causative mechanisms for findings concerning abusive head trauma.

This time series study analyzes use of administrative codes for child physical abuse hospitalizations before and after the transition from use of ICD-9-CM codes to ICD-10-CM codes.

Objectives Children's insurance coverage, through increased access and use of the healthcare system, may increase the likelihood that healthcare professionals (HCPs) will detect and report child maltreatment. We sought to estimate the association between insurance coverage for children and reporting of child maltreatment by HCPs. Study design We conducted a cross-sectional study of US counties from 2008 to 2015 using data from the US Census Bureau's Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, National Center for Health Statistics, and National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. The primary predictor was counties' percent of children insured. We controlled for counties' children living at ≤200% federal poverty level, race/ethnicity demographics, and urban-rural status. The primary outcome was the rate of maltreatment reporting from HCPs. Generalized linear mixed effects models with repeated measures across years tested associations. Results We included 5517 county-year observations involving 470 876 018 child-years. Counties' percent of children insured ranged from 74.6% to 99.2% with a median of 93.7% (IQR, 91.0-95.4). For every 1 percentage point increase in counties' percent of children insured, there was an associated 2% increase in child maltreatment reporting by HCPs (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.02-1.03). If counties' percentage of insured children had been 1 percentage point greater in 2015, a predicted 5620 (95% CI, 5620-8089) additional reports would have been generated. Conclusions Among its other benefits for children's well-being, insurance coverage may also contribute to child protection by increasing the reporting of maltreatment among HCPs.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of risk factors for abuse and newborns’ risks for physical abuse hospitalizations during early infancy. METHODS: We created a nationally representative US birth cohort using the 2013 and 2014 Nationwide Readmissions Databases. Newborns were characterized by demographics, prematurity or low birth weight (LBW), intrauterine drug exposure, and medical complexity (including birth defects). Newborns were tracked for 6 months from their birth hospitalization, and subsequent abuse hospitalizations were identified by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. We calculated adjusted relative risks (aRRs) with multiple logistic regression, and we used classification and regression trees to identify newborns with the greatest risk for abuse on the basis of combinations of multiple risk factors. RESULTS: There were 3 740 582 newborns in the cohort. Among them, 1247 (0.03%) were subsequently hospitalized for abuse within 6 months. Among infants who were abused, 20.4% were premature or LBW, and 4.1% were drug exposed. Premature or LBW newborns (aRR 2.16 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.87–2.49]) and newborns who were drug exposed (aRR 2.86 [95% CI: 2.15–3.80]) were independently at an increased risk for an abuse hospitalization, but newborns with medical complexity or noncardiac birth defects were not. Publicly insured preterm or LBW newborns from rural counties had the greatest risk for abuse hospitalizations (aRR 9.54 [95% CI: 6.88–13.23]). Publicly insured newborns who were also preterm, LBW, or drug exposed constituted 5.2% of all newborns, yet they constituted 18.5% of all infants who were abused. CONCLUSIONS: Preterm or LBW newborns and newborns who were drug exposed, particularly those with public insurance and residing in rural counties, were at the highest risk for abuse hospitalizations. Effective prevention directed at these highest-risk newborns may prevent a disproportionate amount of abuse.

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT) is a postulated cause of subdural hemorrhage (SDH) that is hypothesized to mimic abusive head trauma (AHT). Minimal data exists directly investigating this relationship.To evaluate the frequency of SDH in children with CSVT, identify factors associated with CSVT and SDH, and to assess if any association supports the hypothesis that CSVT causes SDH.The International Pediatric Stroke Study (IPSS) prospectively collects data on subjects birth to 19 years of age with intracranial thrombosis.IPSS subjects with CSVT and SDH were compared to those with CSVT and no SDH. For subjects with CSVT and SDH, neuroimaging reports further characterized the findings. In any case with no known risk factors for SDH, neuroimaging studies were reviewed by a pediatric neuroradiologist.Of 216 subjects with CSVT, 20 (9.3%) had SDH. Those with SDH (median age 0.3 years) were younger than those without SDH (median age 4.2 years), p 0.001. Subjects with CSVT and SDH more frequently had anoxia (OR = 10.8; 95% CI: 1.4, 81.1), head/neck injury (OR = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.3, 12.6), or abnormal consciousness (OR = 3.0; 95% CI: 1.2, 7.6). Of 20 subjects with CSVT and SDH, 19 had known risk factors for SDH. The remaining subject had a chronic SDH identified concomitantly to a newly symptomatic CSVT with accompanying venous infarctions.SDH in the setting of CSVT is typically identified in children with independent risk factors for SDH. This study does not support the hypothesis that CSVT causes SDH.

Still photo imaging is often used in medical evaluations of child sexual abuse (CSA) but video imaging may be superior. We aimed to compare still images to videos with respect to diagnostic agreement regarding hymenal deep notches and transections in post-pubertal females. Additionally, we evaluated the role of experience and expertise on agreement. We hypothesized that videos would result in improved diagnostic agreement of multiple evaluators as compared to still photos. This was a prospective quasi-experimental study using imaging modality as the quasi-independent variable. The dependent variable was diagnostic agreement of participants regarding presence/absence of findings indicating penetrative trauma on non-acute post-pubertal genital exams. Participants were medical personnel who regularly perform CSA exams. Diagnostic agreement was evaluated utilizing a retrospective selection of videos and still photos obtained directly from the videos. Videos and still photos were embedded into an on-line survey as sixteen cases. One-hundred sixteen participants completed the study. Participant diagnosis was more likely to agree with study center diagnosis when using video (p

Little is known regarding sources of diagnostic error at the provider level in cases of possible child physical abuse. This study examines medical diagnosis as part of medical management and not as part of legal investigation. Simulation offers the opportunity to evaluate diagnostic accuracy and identify error sources. We aimed to identify sources of medical diagnostic error in cases of possible abuse by assessing diagnostic accuracy, identifying gaps in evaluation, and characterizing information used by medical providers to reach their diagnoses. Eight femur fracture simulation cases, half of which were abuse and half accident, were created. Providers from a tertiary pediatric emergency department participated in a simulation exercise involving 1 of the 8 cases. Performance was evaluated using structured scoring tools and debriefing, and qualitative analysis characterized participants' rationales for their diagnoses. Overall, 39% of the 43 participants made an incorrect diagnosis regarding abuse. An incorrect diagnosis was over 8 times more likely to occur in accident than in abuse cases (OR=8.8; 95% CI 2 to 39). Only 58% of participants correctly identified the fracture morphology, 60% correctly identified the mechanics necessary to generate the morphology, and 30% of ordered all appropriate tests for occult injury. In misdiagnoses, participants frequently falsely believed the injury did not match the proposed mechanism and the history provided by the caregiver had changed. Education programs targeting the identified error sources may result in fewer diagnostic errors and improve outcomes. The findings also support the need for referral to child abuse experts in many cases.

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is the leading cause of child physical abuse fatalities, and survivors frequently face life-long consequences. Victims of AHT are typically infants, and many are subjected to repeat AHT if not accurately identified and protected. Identifying the timing of AHT is often a medical-forensic process, and investigative personnel use the determination of timing of AHT to guide safety decisions for the child victim. If the medical-forensic timing of AHT is incorrect, a child could be inappropriately placed and/or an innocent caregiver could be subject to prosecution. Victims of AHT who suffer severe/permanent injury are felt to demonstrate symptoms immediately after the trauma, and AHT victims with milder injury are thought to generally have persistent or recurrent clinical signs shortly after the trauma. Periods of normal neurologic appearance, in which a victim of AHT is completely asymptomatic for an extended time after the trauma, are felt to be rare and have not been well characterized in the literature. This case involves a 2-month-old infant victim of AHT who presented to medical care with mild neurologic symptoms that resolved without intervention from medical personnel. While hospitalized, the infant had an asymptomatic period of approximately 38 hours prior to more severe neurologic decompensation, then later returned to neurologic baseline. This case highlights the challenges in accurately timing AHT in very young victims who return to neurologic baseline by characterizing a verifiable prolonged period of normal neurologic appearance and function after AHT.

OBJECTIVES:To compare rates of previous inpatient visits among children hospitalized with child physical abuse (CPA) with controls as well as between individual abuse types.METHODS:In this study, we used the Pediatric Health Information System administrative database of 44 children’s hospitals. Children RESULTS:There were 5425 children hospitalized for CPA. Of abuse and accident cases, 13.1% and 13.2% had a previous inpatient visit, respectively. At previous visits, abused children had higher rates of fractures (rate ratio [RR] = 3.0 times; P = .018), head injuries (RR = 3.5 times; P = .005), symptoms concerning for occult abusive head trauma (AHT) (eg, isolated vomiting, seizures, brief resolved unexplained events) (RR = 1.4 times; P = .054), and perinatal conditions (eg, prematurity) (RR = 1.3 times; P = .014) compared with controls. Head injuries and symptoms concerning for occult AHT also more frequently preceded cases of AHT compared with other types of abuse (both P < .001).CONCLUSIONS:Infants hospitalized with perinatal-related conditions, symptoms concerning for occult AHT, and injuries are inpatient populations who may benefit from abuse prevention efforts and/or risk assessments. Head injuries and symptoms concerning for occult AHT (eg, isolated vomiting, seizures, and brief resolved unexplained events) may represent missed opportunities to diagnose AHT in the inpatient setting; however, this requires further study.

OBJECTIVEChildren who have subdural hematomas (SDHs) with no or minimal neurological symptoms (SDH-mild symptoms) often present a forensic challenge. Nonabusive causes of SDH, including birth-related SDH, benign enlargement of the subarachnoid spaces (BESS), and other proposed causes have been offered as etiologies. These alternative causes do not provide explanations for concomitant suspicious injuries (CSIs). If SDH with mild symptoms in young children are frequently caused by these alternative causes, children with SDH-mild symptoms should be more likely to have no other CSIs than those who have SDH with severe symptoms (SDH-severe symptoms). Additionally, if SDH with mild symptoms is caused by something other than abuse, the location and distribution of the SDH may be different than an SDH caused by abuse. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of other CSIs in patients who present with SDH-mild symptoms and to compare that prevalence to patients with SDH-severe symptoms. Additionally, this study sought to compare the locations and distributions of SDH between the two groups. Finally, given the data supporting BESS as a potential cause of SDH in young children, the authors sought to evaluate the associations of BESS with SDH-mild symptoms and with other CSIs.METHODSThe authors performed a 5-year retrospective case-control study of patients younger than 2 years of age with SDH evaluated by a Child Abuse Pediatrics program. Patients were classified as having SDH-mild symptoms (cases) or SDH-severe symptoms (controls). The two groups were compared for the prevalence of other CSIs. Additionally, the locations and distribution of SDH were compared between the two groups. The presence of BESS was evaluated for associations with symptoms and other CSIs.RESULTSOf 149 patients, 43 presented with SDH-mild symptoms and 106 with SDH-severe symptoms. Patients with SDH-mild symptoms were less likely to have other CSIs (odds ratio [OR] 0.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08–0.5) and less likely to have severe retinal hemorrhages (OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.03–0.3). However, 60.5% of patients with SDH-mild symptoms had other CSIs. There was no difference between the groups regarding the location and distribution of SDH. Of the entire study cohort, 34 (22.8%) had BESS, and BESS was present in 17 (39.5%) of the SDH-mild symptoms group and 17 (16%) of the SDH-severe symptoms group (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.5–7.6). The presence of BESS was significantly associated with a lower chance of other CSIs (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.05–0.3). However, 17 patients had BESS and other CSIs. Of these 17, 6 had BESS and SDH-mild symptoms.CONCLUSIONSThe high occurrence of other CSIs in patients with SDH-mild symptoms and a similar high occurrence in patients with BESS (including those with SDH-mild symptoms) indicate that such children benefit from a full evaluation for abuse.

The evaluation for children with bruising may be affected by the specialty to which they are referred. We conducted a 3-year retrospective review of subjects referred for bruising to Child Abuse Pediatrics (CAP) or Pediatric Hematology to identify characteristics associated with referral to each specialty and to compare the diagnostic evaluations and diagnoses based on specialty. Of 369 subjects, 275 were referred to CAP and 94 to Hematology. Clinical exam findings were similar in both groups. Hematology referrals were significantly more likely to have laboratory evaluations. Among those referred to CAP, 9.5% had head computed tomography scans and 27.3% had skeletal surveys. No children referred to Hematology had these imaging studies performed. Hematology never diagnosed child physical abuse, and CAP never diagnosed bleeding disorders. Pediatric hematologists and CAPs perform different evaluations and reach different diagnostic conclusions for similar patients with bruising. Further investigation of these practice patterns is warranted.

Investigation for bleeding disorders in the context of suspected non-accidental injury (NAI) is inconsistent. We reviewed the hematologic evaluation of children who presented with symptoms of bleeding and/or bruising suspicious for NAI to determine the frequency of hematologic tests, abnormal hematologic laboratory results, and hematologic diagnoses. A retrospective cohort study design was employed at two freestanding academic children's hospitals. ICD-9 codes for NAI were used to identify 427 evaluable patients. Medical records were queried for the details of clinical and laboratory evaluations at the initial presentation concerning for NAI. The median age for the population was 326 days (range 1 day–14 years), 58% were male. Primary bleeding symptoms included intracranial hemorrhage (31.8%) and bruising (68.2%). Hematologic laboratory tests performed included complete blood cell count in 62.3%, prothrombin time (PT) in 55.0%, and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) in 53.6%; fibrinogen in 27.6%; factor activity in 17.1%; von Willebrand disease evaluation in 14.5%; and platelet function analyzer in 11.7%. Prolonged laboratory values were seen in 22.5% of PT and 17.4% of aPTT assays; 66.0% of abnormal PTs and 87.5% of abnormal aPTTs were repeated. In our cohort, 0.7% (3 of 427) of the population was diagnosed with a condition predisposing to bleeding. In children with bleeding symptoms concerning for NAI, hemostatic evaluation is inconsistent. Abnormal tests are not routinely repeated, and investigation for the most common bleeding disorder, von Willebrand disease, is rare. Further research into the extent and appropriate timing of the evaluation is warranted.

Bruising or bleeding in a child can raise the concern for child abuse. Assessing whether the findings are the result of trauma and/or whether the child has a bleeding disorder is critical. Many bleeding disorders are rare, and not every child with bruising/bleeding concerning for abuse requires an evaluation for bleeding disorders. In some instances, however, bleeding disorders can present in a manner similar to child abuse. The history and clinical evaluation can be used to determine the necessity of an evaluation for a possible bleeding disorder, and prevalence and known clinical presentations of individual bleeding disorders can be used to guide the extent of the laboratory testing. This clinical report provides guidance to pediatricians and other clinicians regarding the evaluation for bleeding disorders when child abuse is suspected.

This study aimed to develop a performance assessment tool for the history-taking components of the medical evaluation of physical abuse in young children by (1) determining the consensus-based injury history and social components for documentation, (2) identifying preliminary performance standards, (3) assessing current level-specific performance using the created tools, and (4) evaluating reliability and validity of the created tools.The Physical Abuse Assessment Tool (PHAAT) was developed in 2 steps: (1) a modified Delphi survey was used to identify the injury history and social components for documentation in a medical evaluation for physical abuse, and (2) level-specific ("novice," "competent," "expert") practice standards (minimum passing scores) were created using the identified components via the Angoff method. To evaluate validity, reliability, and level-specific performance of the PHAAT, a chart review of 50 consecutive cases from each of the 3 levels was performed.Seventy-one child abuse pediatricians and 39 social workers participated in the modified Delphi survey, and 67 child abuse pediatricians and 27 social workers participated in the Angoff method. The resulting PHAAT included 2 checklists for use based on presence or absence of a history of an injurious event. One-way analysis of variance shows significant differences in performance based on team level (P0.001), indicating construct validity. Intrarater and interrater reliability evaluations showed strong (rs = 0.64-0.92) and moderate to strong (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.81-0.98) correlations, respectively.Initial evaluation suggests the PHAAT may be a reliable and valid practice assessment tool for the medical evaluation of physical abuse.

OBJECTIVE: In a rural area of the US state of Texas, in April 2008, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) responded to evidence of widespread child abuse in an isolated religious compound by removing 463 individuals into state custody. This mass child protection intervention is the largest such action that has ever occurred in the United States. The objective of this paper is to characterize the burdens placed on the area's community resources, healthcare providers, and legal system, the limitations encountered by the forensic and public health professionals, and how these might be minimized in future large-scale child protection interventions. METHODS: Drawing on publicly available information, this article describes the child abuse investigation, legal outcomes, experiences of pediatric healthcare providers directly affected by the mass removal, and the roles of regional child abuse pediatric specialists. RESULTS: Because the compound's residents refused to cooperate with the investigation and the population of the compound was eight times higher than expected, law enforcement and child protection resources were insufficient to conduct standard child abuse investigations. Local medical and public health resources were also quickly overwhelmed. Consulting child abuse pediatricians were asked to recommend laboratory and radiologic studies that could assist in identifying signs of child abuse, but the lack of cooperation from patients and parents, inadequate medical histories, and limited physical examinations precluded full implementation of the recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Although most children in danger of abuse were removed from the high-risk environment for several months and some suspected abusers were found guilty in criminal trials, the overall success of the child protection intervention was reduced by the limitations imposed by insufficient resources and lack of cooperation from the compound's residents. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Recommendations for community and child abuse pediatricians who may become involved in future large child-protection interventions are presented. Language: en

BACKGROUND: Bleeding disorders and abusive head trauma (AHT) are associated with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), including subdural hemorrhage (SDH). Because both conditions often present in young children, the need to screen for bleeding disorders would be better informed by data that include trauma history and are specific to young children. The Universal Data Collection database contains information on ICH in subjects with bleeding disorders, including age and trauma history. Study objectives were to (1) characterize the prevalence and calculate the probabilities of any ICH, traumatic ICH, and nontraumatic ICH in children with congenital bleeding disorders; (2) characterize the prevalence of spontaneous SDH on the basis of bleeding disorder; and (3) identify cases of von Willebrand disease (vWD) that mimic AHT. METHODS: We reviewed subjects

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the changes regarding the diagnosis of physical abuse provided to Child Protective Services (CPS) when CPS asks a Child Abuse Pediatrics (CAP) specialty group for a second opinion and works in concert with that CAP group. METHODS: Subjects were reported to CPS for suspected physical abuse and were first evaluated by a physician without specialized training in Child Abuse Pediatrics (non-CAP physician). Subjects were then referred to the area's only Child Abuse Pediatrics (CAP physician) group, located in a large metropolitan pediatrics center in the United States, for further evaluation. The diagnoses regarding abuse provided by CAP physicians working in concert with CPS were compared to those provided to CPS by other physicians. RESULTS: Two hundred consecutive patients were included in the study. In 85 (42.5%) cases, non-CAP physicians did not provide a diagnosis regarding abuse, despite initiating the abuse report to CPS or being asked by CPS to evaluate the child for physical abuse. Of the remaining 115 cases, the diagnosis regarding abuse differed between non-CAP physicians and CAP physicians working in concert with CPS in 49 cases (42.6%; kappa=.14; 95% CI, -.02, .29). In 40 of the 49 cases (81.6%), CAP assessments indicated less concern for abuse when compared to non-CAP assessments. Differences in diagnosis were three times more likely in children from a nonurban location (OR 3.24; 95% CI, 1.01, 11.36). CONCLUSIONS: In many cases of possible child physical abuse, non-CAP providers do not provide CPS with a diagnosis regarding abuse despite initiating the abuse investigation or being consulted by CPS for an abuse evaluation. CPS consultation with a CAP specialty group as a second opinion, along with continued information exchange and team collaboration, frequently results in a different diagnosis regarding abuse. Non-CAP providers may not have time, resources, or expertise to provide CPS with appropriate abuse evaluations in all cases. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Though non-CAP providers may appropriately evaluate many cases of physical abuse, the diagnosis regarding abuse provided to CPS may be changed in some cases when CAP physicians are consulted and actively collaborate with CPS investigators. Availability of Child Abuse Pediatrics subspecialty services to investigators is warranted. Language: en

Recent publications argue that classic metaphyseal fractures are caused by rickets as opposed to trauma. Previous case reports of accidental traumatic classic metaphyseal fractures have been discounted due to lack of identification of the fracture at the time of the traumatic event, and lack of an evaluation for boney metabolic disorders. We report a case of a 20 day old male with a diagnosis of congenital vertical talus who sustained a classic metaphyseal fracture of the distal tibia during manipulation in preparation for intravenous line placement. The mechanics of the event causing the classic metaphyseal fracture were witnessed and accompanied by an audible "pop". Prior x-rays of the tibia demonstrate normal osseous morphology, and an evaluation for boney metabolic disorders was normal. This case identifies a traumatic classic metaphyseal fracture and provides insight into the types of forces necessary to cause such a fracture.

Supervisory neglect is often considered in medical settings when a child presents with an unintentional injury. The Rapid Assessment of Supervision Scale (RASS) is a clinical decision-making tool for the assessment of supervision of young children. As the next step in the development of the RASS, we assessed the association of RASS scores with unintentional injury. This study was a secondary analysis of data from a case-crossover study, which examined the association of parental supervision and unintentional injury in children. Data on supervision characteristics for 3 time periods for each child were available, that is, one injury scenario and two “control” time periods when no injury occurred. Blinded to injury status, four raters independently evaluated adequacy of supervision in 132 supervision scenarios using the RASS. The individual RASS scores of the four raters and the group (mean) RASS score of the four raters were evaluated for associations with injury status. Individual scores from three of the four raters demonstrated significant associations of increasing RASS scores with injury. Increasing group RASS scores (odds ratio = 2.8; 95% confidence interval [1.5, 5.1]) were associated with greater likelihood of injury. Further testing may result in a tool that aids medical personnel in the evaluation of adequacy of supervision.

Primary care providers (PCPs) have the opportunity to improve child health and well-being by addressing supervision issues before an injury or exposure has occurred and/or after an injury or exposure has occurred. Appropriate anticipatory guidance on supervision at well-child visits can improve supervision of children, and may prevent future harm. Adequate supervision varies based on the child’s development and maturity, and the risks in the child’s environment. Consideration should be given to issues as wide ranging as swimming pools, falls, dating violence, and social media. By considering the likelihood of harm and the severity of the potential harm, caregivers may provide adequate supervision by minimizing risks to the child while still allowing the child to take “small” risks as needed for healthy development. Caregivers should initially focus on direct (visual, auditory, and proximity) supervision of the young child. Gradually, supervision needs to be adjusted as the child develops, emphasizing a safe environment and safe social interactions, with graduated independence. PCPs may foster adequate supervision by providing concrete guidance to caregivers. In addition to preventing injury, supervision includes fostering a safe, stable, and nurturing relationship with every child. PCPs should be familiar with age/developmentally based supervision risks, adequate supervision based on those risks, characteristics of neglectful supervision based on age/development, and ways to encourage appropriate supervision throughout childhood. [ Pediatr Ann. 2014;43(11):e260–e265.]

To determine the prevalence of additional injuries or bleeding disorders in a large population of young infants evaluated for abuse because of apparently isolated bruising.This was a prospectively planned secondary analysis of an observational study of children10 years (120 months) of age evaluated for possible physical abuse by 20 US child abuse teams. This analysis included infants6 months of age with apparently isolated bruising who underwent diagnostic testing for additional injuries or bleeding disorders.Among 2890 children, 33.9% (980/2890) were6 months old, and 25.9% (254/980) of these had bruises identified. Within this group, 57.5% (146/254) had apparently isolated bruises at presentation. Skeletal surveys identified new injury in 23.3% (34/146), neuroimaging identified new injury in 27.4% (40/146), and abdominal injury was identified in 2.7% (4/146). Overall, 50% (73/146) had at least one additional serious injury. Although testing for bleeding disorders was performed in 70.5% (103/146), no bleeding disorders were identified. Ultimately, 50% (73/146) had a high perceived likelihood of abuse.Infants younger than 6 months of age with bruising prompting subspecialty consultation for abuse have a high risk of additional serious injuries. Routine medical evaluation for young infants with bruises and concern for physical abuse should include physical examination, skeletal survey, neuroimaging, and abdominal injury screening.

abuse might be suspected when children present with cutaneous bruising, intracranial hemorrhage, or other manifestations of bleed- ing. In these cases, it is necessary to consider medical conditions that predispose to easy bleeding/bruising. When evaluating for the possi- bility of bleeding disorders and other conditions that predispose to hemorrhage, the pediatrician must consider the child's presenting history, medical history, and physical examination findings before initiating a laboratory investigation. Many medical conditions can predispose to easy bleeding. Before ordering laboratory tests for a disease, it is useful to understand the biochemical basis and clinical presentation of the disorder, condition prevalence, and test character- istics. This technical report reviews the major medical conditions that predispose to bruising/bleeding and should be considered when eval- uating for abusive injury. Pediatrics 2013;131:e1357-e1373

For reasons inexplicable to many physicians, and unbeknownst to many others, the diagnosis of Abusive Head Trauma/Shaken Baby Syndrome (AHT/SBS) remains a lightning rod for controversy. Recent legal commentary has suggested that there is insufficient science girding this diagnosis. In Part I of the analysis on this topic, Dr. Narang presented a relatively comprehensive analysis of the current science surrounding AHT/SBS, and more specifically, surrounding two of the most common injuries found in AHT/SBS — subdural hemorrhages (SDHs) and retinal hemorrhages (RHs). Dr. Narang asserted that the diagnosis of AHT is supported by "at least 700 peer-reviewed, clinical medical articles comprising thousands of pages of medical literature, published by over one thousand different medical authors, from at least twenty-eight different countries." In response to this article, Findley et al reiterated an insufficient scientific basis for the diagnosis, citing, amongst other things, logical fallacies (such as "circularity" and "the prosecutor's fallacy") as premises for the fallacious literature. In Part II of this analysis, Narang et al swing the microscope in the opposite direction. Narang et al scrutinize the "differential diagnosis" of AHT, and the differential diagnosis methodology itself, to ascertain whether the scientific process of coming to the AHT diagnosis meets reliability and relevancy criteria under Daubert.

OBJECTIVE:: Report of an unusual presentation of child abuse in a critical care setting. DESIGN:: Case report. SETTING:: Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. PATIENT:: A 6-month-old female. BACKGROUND:: Chylothorax in young children can be a sign of systemic illness or a nondisease entity (idiopathic); however, it also can be the only apparent manifestation of child abuse. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:: Child abuse can present with unusual findings, and the diagnosis is not always apparent. In this and previous case reports of child abuse presenting as chylothorax, the diagnosis of abusive injury was not initially made by the managing clinicians. When abusive injury is in the differential diagnosis of a child's condition, a thorough and complete investigation-including skeletal survey, eye exam by an ophthalmologist, cranial neuroimaging, and consultation with child abuse physicians and child protective services-may be indicated. CONCLUSION:: Before diagnosis of idiopathic chylothorax is made in a young child, clinicians should reexamine the patient and all radiographic studies, searching for findings that may indicate abuse. Further evaluation with a dedicated skeletal survey is suggested. Language: en

Objective The primary objective was to determine which of the examined factors prompted physicians to initiate a further abuse evaluation in young children with minor head injury. The recording of important historical elements in the charts of these patients was also evaluated. Methods Charts of 349 children less than 3 years of age with minor head injury were retrospectively reviewed. Age, race, sex, insurance status, findings on head CT, mechanism of injury, witnessing of event and delay in seeking care were analyzed for association with performance of skeletal survey and referral to Child Protective Services (CPS). Results Increased odds of CPS referral and increased odds of obtaining a skeletal survey were associated with positive findings on head CT, delay in seeking care, and unknown mechanism of injury. Despite a known association of age/ambulatory status with abuse, the age of the child was not associated with increased odds of abuse evaluation, and younger age was not associated with increased odds of documenting whether the injury was witnessed or when the injury occurred. Documentation of timing of injury was lacking in 29.2% of the charts. Witnessing of the event was undocumented in 48.7% of cases. Conclusion Clinicians may not be using readily available, important information when considering the initiation of an abuse evaluation in young children. Clinicians seeing acutely injured children may need further education regarding developmental status and its effect on mechanisms of injury and the importance of detailed documentation in cases where abuse is a possible cause of injury. Practice implications Historical factors associated with injuries in young children continue to be poorly documented. Increased pediatric training for emergency medicine physicians, clinical protocols for evaluation and documentation of injured children, and regular continuing medical education on child development and its implications on mechanisms of injury for clinicians practicing in acute care settings are needed changes that may bring about improvements.

Question: Among abused children, what visceral injuries occur, how do they compare to those in accidentally injured children, and what is the value of screening tests to detect abdominal injury? Question type: Descriptive Study design: Systematic review Researchers from multiple institutions in the United Kingdom conducted a systematic literature review to characterize the range of abusive visceral injuries in children, compare these injuries to accidental injuries, and assess the value of screening tests to detect abdominal injury in abused children. The investigators conducted a systematic search using a standardized methodology to identify pertinent studies published from 1950 to 2011. All studies identified in the initial search were independently assessed for inclusion in the systematic review by 2 reviewers; a third reviewer was used to resolve disagreements..... Language: en

Abstract 2231 Background Child maltreatment is a frequent cause of injury in the United States, occurring in approximately 695,000 children per year. Bleeding disorders can exacerbate and be confused with non-accidental injury (NAI); both of these diagnostic errors are life altering for the child and family. Despite the high incidence of child abuse and the independent relative high incidence of bleeding disorders, the optimal hemostatic evaluation is unclear for children who may be victims of NAI. Expert hematologic opinion recommends a multi-tiered approach, first investigating for common bleeding disorders, and subsequently investigating for rare defects in the coagulation and fibrinolytic pathways, if necessary. Further research is needed to develop evidence-based guidelines for the evaluation of bleeding disorders in children who may be victims of NAI. Objectives To review and analyze a five-year history of the hematologic investigation of children who presented with bleeding and/or bruising that was suspicious for NAI at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital (VCH). Our hypothesis is that there is a lack of a systematic approach for the hemostatic evaluation of children who present with bleeding symptoms and concern for NAI. Methods A retrospective cohort study design was employed. ICD-9 codes for NAI (995.5, 995.50, 995.54, 995.55, 995.59) were used. 354 medical records from 2007 – 2011 were reviewed and screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in 198 fully evaluable patients. Medical records were then queried for details of clinical and laboratory evaluation that occurred at the initial presentation concerning for NAI. We defined a basic hematologic evaluation as a CBC, PT and PTT; and a comprehensive hematologic evaluation as a CBC, PT, PTT, factor VIII, IX and XI activity and von Willebrand evaluation. Data was analyzed using SPSS; statistical analysis was performed using frequencies and Chi-Square analysis. Outcomes The mean age for the studied population was 445 days (max 4687 days, minimum 6 days); 37% were male. Bleeding symptoms included intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) (40%) and bruising (58% without associated ICH, 73% with and without associated ICH), with approximately 60% demonstrating additional non-hematologic symptoms (i.e. fractures, burns). Hematologic laboratory tests performed included CBC in 66%, PT in 58%, and PTT in 55%; factor activity levels in 12% (primarily consisted of factors VIII and IX); and von Willebrand disease evaluation in 12% of subjects. Table 1 shows the percentage of laboratory tests obtained in the patients based on symptoms at presentation. Abnormal coagulation labs were seen in 33% of performed PT and 55% of PTT tests; 55% of abnormal PTs and 44% of abnormal PTTs repeated. Our defined basic evaluation was completed in 79% of patients with ICH and 36% of patients without ICH (p Conclusion Complete hematologic evaluation of children who present with bleeding symptoms and concern for NAI is inconsistent. While some children with other findings diagnostic for NAI may not require a hematologic work-up from a medico-legal perspective, it is still prudent to consider common bleeding disorders as a potential contributing factor in the severity of symptoms. At VCH, laboratory evaluation was obtained with greater frequency in patients with hematologic symptoms only. Given the variability of tests obtained and the disparity between expert opinion and our historical evaluation, further investigation into the optimal evaluation of these patients is warranted at this time. A prospective cohort study would allow comprehensive evaluation of all children suspected of NAI resulting in a clear understanding of laboratory abnormalities and incidence of bleeding disorders. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.