Child maltreatment types and effects: series of six cases from a university hospital in Oman

Child maltreatment [CM] is common worldwide, and can take many forms. It may even endanger the child's life, especially when younger children are the victims. CM affects the child's quality of life and consequently leads to long term issues to be dealt with by the child, family and community. This case series discusses six children who have been subjected to CM, and diagnosed by the child protection team of the departments of Child Health and Behavioural Medicine at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital [SQUH], Oman. The aim of this case series is to increase the level of awareness of CM among Oman's medical professionals and to highlight the difficulties encountered in diagnosing and providing optimal care for these children. Although treatment is provided in Oman's health care system, it is clear that there are gaps in the existing system which affect the quality of child protection services provided to the children and their families

Shaken baby syndrome as a form of abusive head trauma

Shaken baby syndrome [SBS] is a form of abuse that is characterised by brain injury. Because of the subtle and yet debilitating neurobehavioural impairment which ensues, SBS represents a diagnostic dilemma for attending clinicians. The situation is made worse by the young age of the affected child who may not be capable of explaining what happened. SBS has been reported in many parts of the world. To our knowledge, there is a dearth of literature on the topic from Arab/Islamic countries. This article attempts to shed light on the syndrome by reviewing information on the aetiology of SBS, as well as on its diagnosis and the reasons for delayed diagnosis. The central aim of this review is to increase awareness of SBS so that enlightened policies for prevention and intervention could be developed in the region and particularly in Oman