ABSTRACT
Intraocular findings are well known and well documented in child abuse cases. However, eye deviation on physical examination can also be just as important in evaluating a child for maltreatment. We present 2 cases of infants younger than 6 months who presented to the emergency department with new-onset abnormal eye deviation, and further evaluation revealed other findings consistent with nonaccidental trauma. These cases were ruled as abusive head trauma and demonstrate the importance of conducting a thorough evaluation for any acute-onset ophthalmological and neurological finding.
Subject(s)
Child Abuse , Esotropia/etiology , Exotropia/etiology , Eye Injuries/etiology , Hematoma, Subdural/diagnostic imaging , Brain Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Diagnosis, Differential , Hematoma, Subdural/complications , Humans , Infant , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Retinal Hemorrhage/diagnosis , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
The term "birth trauma" is one that is well ingrained into the lexicon of medical providers. There is ample information of the types of injuries that are incurred during the birth process. However, there is no uniformed term for the process of an unforeseen act that leads to a precipitous birth. We would like to show a case report of such an act. The infant's injuries were sustained while in utero and the trauma induced a medical team to deliver the infant due to non-reassuring heart tones. Also, we would like to introduce the term of "trauma-induced delivery" into the medical literature as a way to describe similar types of deliveries that are influenced by factors related to physical forces applied to the mother's body, either intentional or unintentional.
