Abusive Head Trauma: Recognition, Response and Prevention
Date
2020
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Child Abuse Review
Abstract
Abusive head trauma (AHT), with its subset diagnosis shaken baby syndrome,
has attracted professional interest for centuries (Caffey, 1972, 1974; Guthkelch,
1971; Helfer and Kempe, 1968; Tardieu, 1860). In the 21st century, with
contributions from a transdisciplinary international corps of scholars and
clinicians, the body of science has developed further as multiple lines of
accumulated evidence have expanded our understanding of the epidemiology,
pathophysiology, outcomes and prevention (Choudhary et al., 2018; Kemp
et al., 2011; Lazoritz and Palusci, 2001; Maguire et al., 2013; Narang
et al., 2016, 2020; Rauth-Farley et al., 2006). Undertaking research on AHT
presents a distinct set of challenges as its diagnosis and management call for
a complex multidisciplinary process that requires interagency collaboration.
Cross-national comparisons are thereby difficult, as societies vary in
organisational models of paediatric care (Otterman et al., 2017). Additionally,
a cadre of medical professionals has challenged the diagnosis in courts of law
in many countries in an effort to sow doubt and deny the validity of the
diagnosis (Chadwick and Krous, 1997; Leventhal and Edwards, 2017).
As guest editors for this special issue of Child Abuse Review, we are
delighted to present articles about AHT that highlight a number of
international perspectives which we believe will be of considerable value to
researchers and clinicians. These papers address aspects ranging from
epidemiology and clinical impact to aetiology and diagnosis, and prevention.
They engage with the voices of practitioners and children themselves with
service data, all of which help to inform our understanding of AHT and to build
the evidence base for the interventions that challenge and respond to it.
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Keywords
shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma, editorial, Epidemiology
Citation
Otterman, G., & Palusci, V. J. (2020). Abusive head trauma: recognition, response and prevention. Child abuse review, 29(3), 171-181.