The floppy infant: a new manifestation of nonaccidental injury.

A 9-week-old infant who sustained a nonaccidental cervical spine fracture with spinal cord injury is reported. Such an injury has not been previously reported in such a young child. The clinical features raised initial difficulties in diagnosis, and management was hampered by the lack of recorded experience of such an injury in such a young infant. Conservative management was employed and the infant has made a partial recovery. The distinctive features of spinal injury in young children are discussed.