G304(P) What is the child protection risk when infants present to Emergency Departments with injuries

Aims Analysis of the demographics, patterns of presentation and outcomes of all children Methods The Health Board has 9 Emergency departments, and in a 3 month period in 2014, 2531 children attended. A protocol for ‘Recognition and management of maltreatment in infants’ exists, and 388 infants met the inclusion criteria of presentation with injury. Case records for 375 children were able to be analysed for demographics; previous attendances; nature of injury; environmental risk factors for NAI; investigations; and follow up where welfare concerns were identified. Results 375 children Of these 11 infants, the conclusion was that 4 were accidental injury, 4 remained unexplained and 3 were NAI. Conclusion We describe the presentation of injuries in a large group of children under the age of 1, of whom 2.9% fulfilled the criteria for full child protection investigation. Only 7 (1.8%) were deemed to have NAI or unexplained injury. The majority had a multi-agency child protection case conference with safeguarding plans agreed prior to discharge, following which all were returned to parental care or kinship care.