Child Physical Abuse An "abused child", under the law, means a child less than 18 years of age whose parent or other person legally responsible for the child's care inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon the child physical injury by other than accidental means which causes or creates substantial risk of death or serious disfigurement, or impairment of physical health, or loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ.
Physical Abuse of Children Physical abuse is a form of child maltreatment (a broad category of behavior that also includes sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect). As a general rule, physical abuse refers to the infliction of physical harm on a child by a parent or caregiver.
Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome Shaken baby syndrome describes the serious injuries that can occur when an infant or toddler is severely or violently shaken. These children, especially babies, have very weak neck muscles and do not yet have full support for their heavy heads. When they are shaken, their fragile brains move back and forth within their skulls.
THE SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME Physical abuse is the leading cause of serious head injury in infants. When a child younger than one year of age has an intra-cranial injury, it should be presumed to have been due to child abuse. It has been estimated that when uncomplicated skull fractures are excluded, 95% of serious intracranial injuries and 64% of all head injuries in infants under 1 year of age are due to child abuse.
