Child abuse & neglect
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Child abuse & neglect · Apr 2000
A profile of the oro-facial injuries in child physical abuse at a children's hospital.
The aim of the present study was to determine the head, face and neck injuries associated with child abuse cases in the Cape Peninsula, Cape Town. South Africa. ⋯ The main conclusions of this study were (i) under 2-year-old children were most at risk from abuse (36%); (ii) the number of the reported injuries to the oral cavity was extremely low (11%); and (iii) no dentists participated in the examination of any of the patients. Intra-oral injuries may be overlooked because of the medical examiner's unfamiliarity with the oral cavity. Oral health professionals should be consulted for diagnosis, advice and treatment.