Core Concepts & Takeaways

• Child abuse is a serious issue that professionals must be educated and trained to recognize and report.
• Highlighting the vulnerability of infants and young children to physical abuse and the importance of investigating false explanations, such as falls.
• Recognizing accidental injuries and conditions that mimic abusive injuries is as important as recognizing signs of abuse.
• Understanding various conditions that can mimic burns on the skin. Examples include impetigo, contact dermatitis, and friction blisters. Impetigo, caused by staph or strep bacteria, can be mistaken for a burn due to its blistering lesions.
• Considering fractures as a form of child abuse and orthopedic injuries.
• Abusive head trauma, also known as shaken baby syndrome, is a form of physical abuse that involves shaking or impacting an infant’s head and brain.
• The responsibilities of an EMS Professional when responding to a call involving a deceased infant. It emphasizes the importance of careful assessment to distinguish between child homicide and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and highlights the need for respect and compassion towards grieving family members.