All issues > Volume 22(2); 1979

Case Report

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1979;22(2):141-147. Published online February 15, 1979.

A case of Battered-Child Syndrome.

H J Jeon, Y M Song, M J Shin, S C Kang

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul Red Cross Hospital.

Abstract

The Battered-Child Syndrome is a clinical conditions in young children who have received the physical and mental injury, sexual abuse, negligent treatment or maltreatment, generally from a parent or foster. The term was coined by Dr. C. Henry Kempe in 1962 and a number of synonyms have proposed such as the Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) syndrome, the Maltreated Child syndrome, and Trauma X, to name a few. The syndrome is protean in its manifestations, abstruse in its etiology, and complex in its management. Physicians should suspect the Battered-child syndrome under the following circumstances. 1. Parents often relate story that is at variance with clinical findings ; relcutance of parents to give information; Complaint other than one associated with abuse and neglect, e.g., cold, headache, stomachache, etc. 2. Multiple visits to various hospital ; admittance to hospital during evening hours. 3. Parents' inappropriate reaction to severity of injury. 4. Family discored or financial stress, alcohnlism, psychosls, perversion, drug addiction, etc. We have recently experienced a case of Battered-Child syndrome with medicosocial problems in 2 5/12-year-old female child, who was brought to emergency room by her father, step-mother and aunt because of loss of consciousness. She revealed numerous ecchymotic and pmrpuric discoloration, over both periorbital regions, forearms and hands, hairbrush-shaped purpuric lesion on the back, branding marks with grate on the right vulva area, walnutsized hematoma over the left frontal area, retinal hemorrhage, rib fractures, mild anemia and impared liver function, but there were no specific findings in skull X-ray, carotid angioraphy, electroence phalogram and so on. During hospitalization it was discovered that abuser was her aunt, a 16 year old, by policeman's information, who was prosecuted by neighbor petition. On the 85th H.D. she was discharged still in cloudy consciousness with intermittent minor seizure despite of anticonvulsant therapy. Thereafter we couldn't follow her because of no further visiting our hospital even with inaccurate residency. Herein a case of Battered-Child syndrome suspected as first report in Korea was presented with a brief review of the related literature.

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