Approach to Child Maltreatment | PedsCases

Approach to Child Maltreatment

Approach to Child Maltreatment

by Kayla.Bailey
Mar 27, 2025
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This PedsCases note provides a one-page overview on approach to child maltreatment, including concerning features, investigations, management and guidance on reporting. It was created by Kayla Bailey, a medical student at the University of Alberta with help from Dr. Melanie Lewis, pediatrician at the University of Alberta and Dr. Jillian Popel and Dr. Erin Boschee, child maltreatment pediatricians at the University of Alberta.

Click the image below for a full-page PDF.

Related content:

CPS Podcast: Medical Evaluation of Bruising

Podcast: From ACEs to early relational health: Implications for clinical practice

References

CPS
- https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/fractures-in-suspected-child-maltreatment
- https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/medical-assessment-of-bruising
Reporting
ACEs
- 2024: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8480117/
- CDC landmark study on adverse child experiences: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html
- Paper published by mehta in 2023: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34586552/
- Up to date: Physical child abuse: Diagnostic evaluation and management
Images

Physiologic System:

Child Protection

Clinical Presentation:

Inadequately Explained Injury (Child Abuse)