<unk>  <unk> , also known as abusive head trauma (AHT), is claimed by some to be the leading cause of fatal head injuries in children younger than 2 years. Diagnosing the syndrome has continuously proved both challenging and contentious for medical professionals, in that they often require objective witnesses to the initial trauma, or rely on uncorroborated recounts. This is said to be particularly problematic when the trauma is deemed 'non-accidental'. Some medical professionals propose that<unk>  is the result of respiratory abnormalities leading to hypoxia and swelling of the brain However, the courtroom has become a forum for conflicting theories that generally accepted medical literature has not been reconciled with. Often there are no visible signs of trauma. Complications include seizures, visual impairment, cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment and death. The cause may be blunt trauma, vigorous<unk> g, or a combination of both. Often this occurs as a result of a caregiver becoming frustrated due to the child crying. Diagnosis can be difficult as symptoms may be nonspecific. A CT scan of the head is typically recommended if a concern is present. If there are concerning findings on the CT scan, a full work-up for child abuse should occur, including an eye exam and skeletal survey. Retinal hemorrhage is highly associated with AHT, occurring in 78% of cases of AHT versus 5% of cases of non-abusive head trauma. See child abuse. Educating new parents appears to be beneficial in decreasing rates of the condition. Treatment occasionally requires surgery, such as to place a cerebral shunt.<unk>  is estimated to occur in 3 to 4 per 10,000 babies a year. It occurs most frequently in those less than five years of age. The risk of death is about 25%. The diagnosis include retinal bleeds, multiple fractures of the long bones, and subdural hematomas (bleeding in the brain). These signs have evolved through the years as the accepted and recognized signs of child abuse. Medical professionals strongly suspect<unk> g as the cause of injuries when a young child presents with retinal bleed, fractures, soft tissue injuries or subdural hematoma, that cannot be explained by accidental trauma or other medical conditions. Retinal hemorrhage (bleeding) occurs in around 85% of<unk>  cases and the severity of retinal hemorrhage correlates with severity of head injury. The type of retinal bleeds are often believed to be particularly characteristic of this condition, making the finding useful in establishing the diagnosis. Fractures of the vertebrae, long bones, and ribs may also be associated with<unk> . Dr. John Caffey reported in 1972 that metaphyseal avulsions (small fragments of bone torn off where the periosteum covering the bone and the cortical bone are tightly bound together) and "bones on both the proximal and distal sides of a single joint are affected, especially at the knee". Infants may display irritability, failure to thrive, alterations in eating patterns, lethargy, vomiting, seizures, bulging or tense fontanels (the soft spots on a baby's head), increased size of the head, altered breathing, and dilated pupils.
Shaken baby syndrome
Neonatal meningitis
Michelin tire baby syndrome
Blue baby syndrome
Neonatal stroke
Omphalitis of newborn
Gray baby syndrome
Neonatal diabetes