Suspected child abuse among victims of home accidents being admitted to the emergency department: a prospective survey from Turkey.

OBJECTIVES

Association between home injuries and child abuse has received interest in Western countries. Inasmuch as it is now known that cultural differences may have an impact on child-rearing practices and the definition of maltreatment, we aimed to assess the suspected physical abuse in children presenting to the emergency department with home injuries and determine the risk factors associated with suspected child maltreatment in our region.

METHOD: The study is prospective in design. The sample was composed of 87 children younger than 72 months with presenting histories of home accidents. Data were collected by interview with the parents and by application of various questionnaires and inventories to both children and their parents.

RESULTS

Suspected physical abuse was identified in 16.1% of cases presenting with home injuries. The significant factors associated with suspected abuse were child's age younger than 12 months, having developmental delays in the social and self-care domains, younger paternal age, paternal alcohol abuse, marital discordancy, repeated history of home injuries, and requirement for radiological examination.

CONCLUSION

A missed diagnosis of child abuse can result in repeated injury, cause severe morbidity, and even result in death. This research indicates the features of "victims of accidents" who require special attention to recognize suspected abuse at the emergency department. Cultural factors might also provide additional indications that might aid in determining the cases of child maltreatment.