NCJ Number
240662
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 36 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2012 Pages: 333-341
Date Published
April 2012
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined the feasibility of using prothrombotic factors as evidence in court cases involving abusive head injuries in children.
Abstract
The main finding from the study was that for the children fully enrolled in the study, the prevalence of thrombophilia was high for those with retinal hemorrhage. The main purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility of using prothrombotic factors as evidence in court cases involving abuse head injuries in children. Data for the study were obtained from a sample of children, aged 1-month through 7-years, who were admitted to inpatient care for a head injury confirmed by diagnostic imaging. While 30 children were admitted during the study period, only 6 were completely enrolled in the study due to enrollment obstacles such as caregiver stress, animosity towards allegations of abuse, child protection services involvement, and research phlebotomy coordination. Analysis of the children's diagnoses indicates that in this small sample, prothrombotic factors can affect the degree to which retinal hemorrhage can be attributed to abusive head trauma. In order to determine the degree to which retinal hemorrhage specificity can be used as evidence of abuse, the authors estimate that a larger, more comprehensive study will need to be conducted involving either more hospitals or healthcare centers or a longer time frame for the study. Potential obstacles associated with the research are discussed. Figure, tables, and reference