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Letter
Rise in the incidence of abusive head trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic
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  1. Jai Sidpra1,
  2. Doris Abomeli2,
  3. Biju Hameed3,
  4. Janice Baker4,
  5. Kshitij Mankad5
  1. 1 University College London Medical School, University College London, London, UK
  2. 2 Department of General Paediatrics, Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
  3. 3 Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
  4. 4 Department of Child Protection, Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
  5. 5 Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Kshitij Mankad, Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK; drmankad{at}gmail.com

https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2020-319872

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    Introduction

    Recent literature highlights a possible increase in child abuse during the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic.1 We report a marked increase in the incidence of abusive head trauma (AHT) at our institution.

    Methods

    We reviewed the incidence of suspected AHT between 23 March and 23 April 2020—the month that the United Kingdom entered a period of national self-isolation—and compared this with the incidence in the previous 3 years.

    All children received an ophthalmological assessment, skeletal survey, and computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging of the head and whole spine as part of their investigation. Demographic data and clinical findings were recorded, including parental vulnerabilities and socioeconomic indexing by the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

    Results

    Ten children (six boys, four girls; mean age 192 days, range 17 to 401 days) with suspected AHT were seen during this time in comparison with a mean …

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