NSPCC Advice to Help Spot Head Injuries

The NSPCC charity is offering advice to doctors, social workers, police officers and other professionals to help recognise signs of inflicted head and spinal injuries in children. At least three babies and toddlers are hospitalised due to deliberate head injuries every week. Other injuries such as bruising, burns, fractures of the skull and brain injuries can also remain hidden.

The recent Baby P tragedy shows that even serious injuries can be missed, as the baby was repeatedly seen by medical staff with head injuries during the last 10 months of his life. The paediatrician who saw him the day before his death failed to spot his broken spine, whilt the post mortem revealed a broken back, ribs and severe head injuries.

NSPCC director of training and consultancy Enid Hendry said:

Babies and toddlers are an extremely vulnerable group; they are fragile and need to be handled with care. Shaking and throwing a baby can cause irreparable harm to a child.  If their injuries are not picked up they won’t get the immediate treatment which could save their life.

The NSPCC Core Info leaflet will help GPs, social workers and other professionals to recognise the signs and take the most appropriate action. Head and spinal injuries is the fifth in the Core Info series, with previous leaflets covered thermal injuries, bites and oral injuries, bruising, and fractures.

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