Breastfed babies' bruises may be self-inflicted 'hickeys,' not signs of abuse

By Rob Goodier

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Breastfed babies may sometimes suck on their own arms to the point of bruising themselves and the injuries should not be confused with signs of child abuse, according to a new case report.

"Bruising in pre-mobile children is suggestive of physical child abuse, but where there is clear evidence of the baby sucking on their arm prior to a feed then it may result in linear suction bruises," said Dr. Chris Woolley from Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr, a general hospital in Ystrad Mynach, Wales.

However, he told Reuters Health by email, "These infants should still be referred to a medical safeguarding expert for assessment."

The new report, from Dr. Woolley and co-author Dr. Ram Nagaruru Venkata at Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, UK, was published online November 14 in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The authors describe a four-week-old baby who was referred to child protection services after a clinician noticed bruises on the baby's forearms. Nurses and the mother later saw the baby sucking on its own arm, and a forensic dentist confirmed that the bruises looked like the baby could have caused them.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1vLAcXX

Arch Dis Child 2014.

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