Nonaccidental Head Injuries

At least 24% of children younger than 2 years of age admitted to the hospital for head injury have sustained nonaccidental trauma. Inflicted neurotrauma is a syndrome of young children, with mean age younger than 1 year. Risk factors for inflicted injury include young parents, low socioeconomic status, socially unstable households, single parents, prematurity of the infant, history of abuse to the caretaker, and psychiatric or substance abuse histories. The two most common histories given by caretakers when children present with nonaccidental head injury include a history of trivial blunt trauma and no history of trauma. When a history of trauma is obtained, it is most often one of a short-height fall, usually from a bed or other low surface.