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ARTICLE |

The `Battered Child' Revisited FREE

Marilyn Heins, MD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to Office of the Vice Dean, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724 (Dr Heins).

A commentary on Kempe CH, Silverman FN, Steele BF, et al: The battered-child syndrome. JAMA 1962;181:17-24.


JAMA. 1984;251(24):3295-3300. doi:10.1001/jama.1984.03340480077034
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The impact of the article "The Battered-Child Syndrome" by Drs Henry Kempe, Frederic Silverman, Brandt Steele, William Droegemueller, and Henry Silver, which appeared in The Journal on July 7, 19621 —and the speed with which this impact was felt throughout the land —were truly astonishing. Within four years of the publication of this LANDMARK ARTICLE, all but one state had adopted child abuse reporting statutes.2

Others had suspected the existence of child abuse, and a few previous articles on this subject had been published in the medical literature. Two things made this article different. First, the title. How can a nation ignore an entity called "the battered-child syndrome"? Second, the paper was submitted to the widely circulated Journal of the American Medical Association so that the majority of practicing physicians read about child abuse and the press quickly took note.

This perspective will cover four topics: (1) What

REFERENCES

Kempe CH, Silverman FN, Steele BF, et al:  The battered-child syndrome . JAMA 1962;;181:17-24.
Sloan IJ: Child Abuse: Governing Law & Legislation , series 79. New York, Oceana Publications Inc, 1983;.
Robin M:  Sheltering arms: The roots of child protection , in Newberger EH (ed): Child Abuse . Boston, Little Brown & Co, 1982;, pp 1-21.
Bakan D: Slaughter of the Innocents . San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Inc, 1971;, p xi.
De Mause L:  The evolution of childhood , in de Mause L (ed): The History of Childhood . New York, Harper & Row Publishers Inc, 1974;.
Steele B:  Notes on the history of child abuse . Presented at Children's-Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo, January 1983 .
Silverman FN:  Unrecognized trauma in infants, the battered child syndrome, and the syndrome of Ambroise Tardieu . Radiology 1972;;104:337-353.
Snedecor ST, Knapp RE, Wilson HB:  Traumatic ossifying periostitis of the newborn . Surg Cynecol Obstet 1935;;61:385-387.
Barmeyer GH, Alderson LR, Cox WB, et al:  Traumatic ossifying periostitis in young children . J Pediatr 1951;;38:184-190.
Caffey J:  Multiple fractures in the long bones of infants suffering from chronic subdural hematoma . AJR 1946;;56:163-173.
Silverman FN:  The roentgen manifestations of unrecognized skeletal trauma in infants . AJR 1953;;69:413-426.
Caffey J:  Some traumatic lesions in growing bones other than fractures and dislocations: Clinical and radiological features . Br J Radiol 1957;;30:238.
Woolley PV Jr, Evans WA Jr:  Significance of skeletal lesions in infants resembling those of traumatic origin . JAMA 1955;;158:539-543.
Silver HK:  Presentation of the Howland Award: Some observations introducing C. Henry Kempe, MD . Pediatr Res 1980;;14:1151-1154.
Kempe RS, Kempe CH: Child Abuse . Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press, 1978;, pp 1-123.
Paulsen M, Parker G, Adelman L:  Child abuse reporting laws—some legislative history . George Washington Law Rev 1966;;34:482-506.
Child Abuse: An Annotated Bibliography . Metuchen, NJ, Scarecrow Press Inc, 1982;.
Schmitt BD, Kempe CH:  The pediatrician's role in child abuse and neglect . Curr Prob Ped 1975;;5:3-45.
McNeese MC, Hebeler JR:  The abused child: A clinical approach to identification and management . Clin Symposia 1977;;29:35.
Sanders RW:  Resistance to dealing with parents of battered children . Pediatrics 1972;;50:853-857.
Kempe CH:  Paediatric implications of the battered baby syndrome . Arch Dis Child 1971;;46:28-37.
Kempe CH:  Child abuse —the pediatrician's role in child advocacy and preventive pediatrics . AJDC 1978;;132:255-260.
Ellerstein NS:  The role of the physician , in Ellerstein NS (ed): Child Abuse and Neglect: A Medical Reference . New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1981;, pp 1-71.
Pollock C, Steele B:  A therapeutic approach to the parents , in Kempe CH, Helfer RE (eds): Helping the Battered Child and His Family . Philadelphia, JB Lippincott Co, 1972;, pp 3-21.
Kadushin A, Martin JA: Child Abuse: An Interactional Event . New York, Columbia University Press, 1981;, p 253.
Highlights of Official Child Neglect and Abuse Reporting, Annual Report, 1981 . Denver, American Humane Association, 1983;.
Schmitt BD, Kempe CH:  Child abuse: Management and prevention of the battered child syndrome , in Folia Traumatologica . Basel, Switzerland, CIBA-GEIGY, 1975;, p 3.
Gelles RJ:  Child abuse and family violence: Implications for medical professionals , in Newberger EH (ed): Child Abuse . Boston, Little Brown & Co, 1982;, pp 25-41.
Christoffel KK:  Homicide in childhood: A public health problem in need of attention . Am J Public Health 1984;;74:68-70.
Jason J:  Child homicide spectrum . AJDC 1983;;137:578-581.
Gelles RJ:  Violence towards children in the United States , in American Association for the Advancement of Science, Symposium on Violence at Home and at School, Denver, 1977 . Washington, DC, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1977;.
Snyder JC, Hampton R, Newberger EH:  Family dysfunction: Violence, neglect, and sexual misuse , in Levine MD, Carey WB, Crocker AC, et al (eds): Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics . Philadelphia, WB Saunders Co, 1983;, pp 256-275.
Steele BF:  Violence in our society . Pharos 1970;;33:42-48.
Kadushin A, Lathrop J: Child Welfare Services , ed 3. New York, Macmillan Publishing Co Inc, 1980;, pp 156-205.
Lieber L, Baker J:  Parents anonymous and self-help treatment for child abusing parents: A review and an evaluation . Child Abuse Neglect 1977;;1:133-148.
Cohn AH:  Organization and administration of programs to treat child abuse and neglect , in Newberger EH (ed): Child Abuse . Boston, Little Brown & Co, 1982;, pp 89-101.
Giovannoni JM, Becerra RM: Defining Child Abuse . New York, The Free Press, 1970;.
Rosenfeld AA, Newberger EH:  Compassion vs control: Conceptual and practical pitfalls in the broadened definition of child abuse . JAMA 1977;;237:2086-2088.
Markham B:  Child abuse intervention: Conflicts in current practice and legal theory . Pediatrics 1980;;65:180-185.
Helfer RE:  Preventing the abuse and neglect of children: The physician's role . Pediatr Basics 1979;;23:4-7.
Lealman GT, Haigh D, Phillips JM, et al:  Prediction and prevention of child abuse—an empty hope? Lancet 1983;;1:1423-1424.
Kempe CH:  Approaches to preventing child abuse . AJDC 1976;;130:941-947.
Gray J, Kaplan B:  The Lay Health Visitor Program: An 18-month experience , in Kempe CH, Helfer RE (eds): The Battered Child , ed 3. University of Chicago Press, 1980;, pp 373-378.
Bronfenbrenner U: Two Worlds of Childhood: U.S. and U.S.S.R. New York, Russell Sage Foundation, 1970;, p 1.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

Kempe CH, Silverman FN, Steele BF, et al:  The battered-child syndrome . JAMA 1962;;181:17-24.
Sloan IJ: Child Abuse: Governing Law & Legislation , series 79. New York, Oceana Publications Inc, 1983;.
Robin M:  Sheltering arms: The roots of child protection , in Newberger EH (ed): Child Abuse . Boston, Little Brown & Co, 1982;, pp 1-21.
Bakan D: Slaughter of the Innocents . San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Inc, 1971;, p xi.
De Mause L:  The evolution of childhood , in de Mause L (ed): The History of Childhood . New York, Harper & Row Publishers Inc, 1974;.
Steele B:  Notes on the history of child abuse . Presented at Children's-Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo, January 1983 .
Silverman FN:  Unrecognized trauma in infants, the battered child syndrome, and the syndrome of Ambroise Tardieu . Radiology 1972;;104:337-353.
Snedecor ST, Knapp RE, Wilson HB:  Traumatic ossifying periostitis of the newborn . Surg Cynecol Obstet 1935;;61:385-387.
Barmeyer GH, Alderson LR, Cox WB, et al:  Traumatic ossifying periostitis in young children . J Pediatr 1951;;38:184-190.
Caffey J:  Multiple fractures in the long bones of infants suffering from chronic subdural hematoma . AJR 1946;;56:163-173.
Silverman FN:  The roentgen manifestations of unrecognized skeletal trauma in infants . AJR 1953;;69:413-426.
Caffey J:  Some traumatic lesions in growing bones other than fractures and dislocations: Clinical and radiological features . Br J Radiol 1957;;30:238.
Woolley PV Jr, Evans WA Jr:  Significance of skeletal lesions in infants resembling those of traumatic origin . JAMA 1955;;158:539-543.
Silver HK:  Presentation of the Howland Award: Some observations introducing C. Henry Kempe, MD . Pediatr Res 1980;;14:1151-1154.
Kempe RS, Kempe CH: Child Abuse . Cambridge, Mass, Harvard University Press, 1978;, pp 1-123.
Paulsen M, Parker G, Adelman L:  Child abuse reporting laws—some legislative history . George Washington Law Rev 1966;;34:482-506.
Child Abuse: An Annotated Bibliography . Metuchen, NJ, Scarecrow Press Inc, 1982;.
Schmitt BD, Kempe CH:  The pediatrician's role in child abuse and neglect . Curr Prob Ped 1975;;5:3-45.
McNeese MC, Hebeler JR:  The abused child: A clinical approach to identification and management . Clin Symposia 1977;;29:35.
Sanders RW:  Resistance to dealing with parents of battered children . Pediatrics 1972;;50:853-857.
Kempe CH:  Paediatric implications of the battered baby syndrome . Arch Dis Child 1971;;46:28-37.
Kempe CH:  Child abuse —the pediatrician's role in child advocacy and preventive pediatrics . AJDC 1978;;132:255-260.
Ellerstein NS:  The role of the physician , in Ellerstein NS (ed): Child Abuse and Neglect: A Medical Reference . New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1981;, pp 1-71.
Pollock C, Steele B:  A therapeutic approach to the parents , in Kempe CH, Helfer RE (eds): Helping the Battered Child and His Family . Philadelphia, JB Lippincott Co, 1972;, pp 3-21.
Kadushin A, Martin JA: Child Abuse: An Interactional Event . New York, Columbia University Press, 1981;, p 253.
Highlights of Official Child Neglect and Abuse Reporting, Annual Report, 1981 . Denver, American Humane Association, 1983;.
Schmitt BD, Kempe CH:  Child abuse: Management and prevention of the battered child syndrome , in Folia Traumatologica . Basel, Switzerland, CIBA-GEIGY, 1975;, p 3.
Gelles RJ:  Child abuse and family violence: Implications for medical professionals , in Newberger EH (ed): Child Abuse . Boston, Little Brown & Co, 1982;, pp 25-41.
Christoffel KK:  Homicide in childhood: A public health problem in need of attention . Am J Public Health 1984;;74:68-70.
Jason J:  Child homicide spectrum . AJDC 1983;;137:578-581.
Gelles RJ:  Violence towards children in the United States , in American Association for the Advancement of Science, Symposium on Violence at Home and at School, Denver, 1977 . Washington, DC, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1977;.
Snyder JC, Hampton R, Newberger EH:  Family dysfunction: Violence, neglect, and sexual misuse , in Levine MD, Carey WB, Crocker AC, et al (eds): Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics . Philadelphia, WB Saunders Co, 1983;, pp 256-275.
Steele BF:  Violence in our society . Pharos 1970;;33:42-48.
Kadushin A, Lathrop J: Child Welfare Services , ed 3. New York, Macmillan Publishing Co Inc, 1980;, pp 156-205.
Lieber L, Baker J:  Parents anonymous and self-help treatment for child abusing parents: A review and an evaluation . Child Abuse Neglect 1977;;1:133-148.
Cohn AH:  Organization and administration of programs to treat child abuse and neglect , in Newberger EH (ed): Child Abuse . Boston, Little Brown & Co, 1982;, pp 89-101.
Giovannoni JM, Becerra RM: Defining Child Abuse . New York, The Free Press, 1970;.
Rosenfeld AA, Newberger EH:  Compassion vs control: Conceptual and practical pitfalls in the broadened definition of child abuse . JAMA 1977;;237:2086-2088.
Markham B:  Child abuse intervention: Conflicts in current practice and legal theory . Pediatrics 1980;;65:180-185.
Helfer RE:  Preventing the abuse and neglect of children: The physician's role . Pediatr Basics 1979;;23:4-7.
Lealman GT, Haigh D, Phillips JM, et al:  Prediction and prevention of child abuse—an empty hope? Lancet 1983;;1:1423-1424.
Kempe CH:  Approaches to preventing child abuse . AJDC 1976;;130:941-947.
Gray J, Kaplan B:  The Lay Health Visitor Program: An 18-month experience , in Kempe CH, Helfer RE (eds): The Battered Child , ed 3. University of Chicago Press, 1980;, pp 373-378.
Bronfenbrenner U: Two Worlds of Childhood: U.S. and U.S.S.R. New York, Russell Sage Foundation, 1970;, p 1.
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