Patterns of skin injury in nonaccidental and accidental injury.

The patterns of soft tissue injuries in a group of 154 children reported to protective services for child abuse or neglect were compared with patterns of soft tissue injury found in a group of 91 emergency room patients who sustained an accidental injury and 105 children seen in a pediatric ambulatory clinic. All children in the three groups were 1 to 12 years old. Children in the suspected child abuse and neglect group had significantly more (P less than .01) soft tissue injuries over the cheeks, trunk, genitals, and upper legs. Lacerations were significantly more common (P less than .001) in the emergency room group.