This article summarizes research funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) about child trauma and determining accidental injury from intentional abuse.
This publication provides an overview of research funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) about the determination of intentional versus accidental trauma in infants and children. These studies have focused on modeling skull fractures, applying biomechanical engineering techniques to determine fracture potential, identifying bruising patterns, and using advanced imaging technologies to capture minute injuries from suspected head trauma. This article specifically discusses skull fractures, bruises, and injury identification and documentation in autopsies. Abuse is the leading cause of trauma-related fatalities in children younger than four years old. However, recognizing physical abuse in pediatric patients can be difficult. Young children sustain injuries, including bruises and broken bones, during normal age-appropriate activities such as learning to walk or riding a bicycle. Differentiating expected accidental injuries from nonaccidental injuries (i.e., child abuse) is challenging for the medical and medicolegal communities.