1. Pediatric skeletal injuries in emergency department; an alarm of child maltreatment in Egypt: A cross-sectional study.
- Author
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Mohammad Moawad A, Mohamed Ibraheim Moawad E, Ali Mohamed Mahrous M, Zein MM, and Salama Mahmoud Mahmoud A
- Subjects
- Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Egypt epidemiology, Male, Female, Child, Child, Preschool, Risk Factors, Infant, Prevalence, Surveys and Questionnaires, Incidence, Adolescent, Child Abuse statistics & numerical data, Fractures, Bone epidemiology, Emergency Service, Hospital statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Background: Child physical abuse, a type of child maltreatment (CM), poses a significant global public health concern. Nonaccidental fractures and soft tissue injuries, which encompass any action that directly or indirectly harms a child, are the primary indicators of physical abuse in children., Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of accidental and nonaccidental skeletal fractures in a sample of Egyptian children., Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted between March 2022 and August 2022. A total of 156 children who presented with skeletal injuries and attended Mobarak Central Hospital were enrolled. Patients were subjected to full history taking, complete examination, and investigations. A structured questionnaire was administered to all the legal guardians., Results: Physical abuse was reported in 22.4 % of cases, while medical neglect was reported in 19.9 % of cases. The incidence of physical abuse was notably higher among children whose fathers were smokers and/or drug addicts (p ≤ 0.05). The most common form of physical abuse was hitting (94.3 %). Among skeletal injuries, fractures were predominant (94.3 %), primarily closed fractures associated with contusions. Fractures of the upper limb accounted for the highest incidence (94.3 %) of skeletal injuries, and 60 % of physically abused children experienced moderate-severity injuries., Conclusion: The most common fracture observed in abused children is the upper limb fracture, typically involving a single bone. Clinicians should be more vigilant in suspecting abuse, even in cases where there is an isolated fracture, and advocate for the development of parental training programs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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