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01362.txt
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1994-01-17
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$Unique_ID{BRK01362}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{How Can One Tell if Burns on a Child's Skin is the Result of Abuse?}
$Subject{burns child abuse community social skin children immersion scalding
water accidental abusive burn scalds abuses abused problem accident accidents}
$Volume{Q-20,S-20}
$Log{}
Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
How Can One Tell if Burns on a Child's Skin is the Result of Abuse?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: Please answer this question at once, it is very important. How is
it possible to tell if burns on a child's skin is the result of abuse?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWER: Child abuse is a sad fact of life and we all must be aware of this
possibility when a child has been injured in any way. Any suspicion of abuse
should be reported immediately. Although accidents account for the majority
of severe burns to children, there are signs that may point to child abuse in
certain cases. The most common abusive burn injuries in children are
immersion burns, caused by forcibly putting a child in a tub of scalding
water. Unlike an accidental scalding from a knocked over pot, the burn marks
are evenly distributed on the body. Scalds to both hands or feet that
resemble stockings or gloves are unlikely to occur to a small child by
accident. Another abusive burn is contact burns--such as cigarette burns--in
spots that the child cannot reach. Most abused children are between 18 and 36
months old. Any delay in bringing a child in for medical attention by the
parents may be an important signal to health care workers. Another clue is
when the story of how the incident happened keeps changing or can't explain
the appearance of the injury.
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.