PEDIATRICS Vol. 45 No. 6 June 1970, pp. 1003-1007
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Baron, M. A.
Right arrow Articles by Sheaff, P. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Baron, M. A.
Right arrow Articles by Sheaff, P. J.

NEUROLOGIC MANIFESTATIONS OF THE BATTERED CHILD SYNDROME

Michael A. Baron MC, USAR1, Rafael L. Bejar MC, USAR1, and Peter J. Sheaff MC, USAR1

1 Valley Forge General Hospital, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

An infant with no external signs of trauma and a picture closely mimicking organic brain disease was treated for months before battering was considered as a possible cause of her difficulty. The similarity of her symptoms to neurologic disease was so striking that battering continued undetected until she finally showed external bruises. Neurologic findings, which included exaggerated startle, hyperreflexia, and increased muscle tone, were not due to organic neurologic disease, and all disappeared within 1 week after hospital admission. The battered child syndrome must be included in the differential diagnosis of developmental failure with diffuse or nonfocal neurologic signs; and, all infants who show these symptoms should be hospitalized.

Submitted on September 23, 1969
Accepted on January 2, 1970