Kempe’s “Battered Child Syndrome” at 50: Looking Back and Forward

PsycCRITIQUES ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. Brinich
PEDIATRICS ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Lauer ◽  
Elsa Ten Broeck ◽  
Moses Grossman

The medical and social service records of the 130 battered children under 10 years of age admitted to San Francisco General Hospital during a six-year period, July 1, 1965, to June 30, 1971, were reviewed. Only children with physical injuries were included. A control group was selected from concurrent admissions. The findings showed a steadily rising number of admissions for child abuse. Many of the children suffered from emotional, physical and medical neglect as well as intentional trauma and 44% had been abused previously. Six children died. Sixty-three percent of the battered children were less than 2 years old. Their parents were significantly younger than parents of controls and also much more transient. White children rather than nonwhite children were battered more often than expected when compared to the ethnic distribution of the control group.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 894-895
Author(s):  
Jacob Brem

A good deal of literature on child abuse has accumulated since Kempe and his group first described the "Battered Child Syndrome."1 Enlightened laws have been passed in the various states and management transferred from the police into the hands of social agencies. Furthermore, the reporting physician was protected from libel. However, at the grass root level, conditions are far from ideal. Physicians are unfamiliar with the various laws and are reluctant to report for fear of getting involved in unpleasant situations.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-330
Author(s):  
Rowland L. Mindlin ◽  
William M. Palmer

The Committee on Infant and Preschool Child and its Subcommittee on Child Abuse have received a number of requests for recommendations on the roentgenograms that should be taken routinely on a child suspected of being physically abused. We have consulted, among others, Frederic N. Silverman, M.D., a pediatric radiologist and a co-author with C. Henry Kempe, M.D., of the landmark article1 in which the term "battered child syndrome" was coined. We would like to bring Dr. Silverman's clear and reasoned response to the attention of all pediatricians, indeed to all physicians encountering children who may have been abused.


1975 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 174
Author(s):  
P.R. Van Ostenberg ◽  
W.R. Anderson

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Guillermo-Durán ◽  
Salvador Gómez-Carro ◽  
Nina Mendez-Dominguez

Introducción: El tétanos es una enfermedad infecciosa causada por Clostridium tetani, con un cuadro clínico grave y una elevada mortalidad. En Yucatán, la tasa de incidencia es baja (0.09 por 100,000 habitantes), reportándose únicamente dos casos en 2017, por lo que actualmente es una enfermedad de baja sospecha diagnóstica en la región. Caso clínico: Preescolar masculino de 5 años, originario de una comunidad rural de Yucatán y con esquema de inmunización incompleto, quien fue atendido por espasmos musculares generalizados, así como heridas recientes por cuerpo extraño y síndrome del niño maltratado. En la Unidad de Terapia Intensiva, se integró el diagnóstico de tétanos, por lo que recibió manejo etiológico y sintomático, logrando mejoría a su egreso. Discusión: Yucatán es una de las entidades federativas con mayor índice de maltrato infantil. Ante la presencia de dicha problemática social, es importante descartar un esquema de inmunización incompleto, mismos que con la coexistencia de hallazgos clínicos típicos y herida reciente por cuerpo extraño, se debe sospechar tétanos.Background: Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by Clostridium tetani, with severe symptoms and a high mortality rate.  In Yucatan, the incidence rate is low (0.09 per 100,000 population), reporting only two cases in 2017, so it is now a disease of low diagnostic suspicion in the region. Case presentation: A 5-year-old male preschool, from a rural community of Yucatán and with incomplete immunization scheme, who was attended by generalized muscle spasms as well as recent foreign body wounds and battered child syndrome. In the Intensive Care Unit, the diagnosis of tetanus was integrated, for which he received etiological and symptomatic management, achieving improvement at his discharge. Discussion: Yucatan is a state with high child abuse rate of. In the presence of this social problem, it is important to rule out an incomplete immunization scheme, which with the coexistence of typical clinical findings and recent foreign body wound, tetanus should be suspected. 


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