1 Dept of Pediatrics, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC
Corporal punishment is an accepted form of discipline in the American home and school despite numerous publications in various fields reporting concerns.1-7 We describe a case of paddling associated with hypovolemic shock.
CASE REPORT
The patient, a 5-year-old black girl with no known underlying health problems, was seen at a local emergency department for complaints of progressive weakness. The previous day she had been paddled by her mother for disciplinary reasons. Her mother had used a wooden paddle, spanking her on the buttocks and upper thighs. Neither mother nor daughter could recall the number of blows administered. Shortly after being spanked, the child complained of generalized soreness over the area of injury.
Submitted on February 27, 1990