The pattern of Injuries in Physical Child Abuse Referred to the Forensic Centers of Mazandaran Province in Two Years

Aims: Child abuse has various consequences. The present study investigate the cases of child abuse referred to the forensic centers of Mazandaran province and evaluate the challenges for recording a case of child abuse in the forensic files Methods: The present cross-sectional retrospective study included all of the referred cases of child abuse to the forensics centers of Mazandaran province in two years. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire included age and gender, the referring center, companion, harasser and the time of the assault, type of injury, time of occurrence, reason for the occurrence and the injured organ with a reliability coefficient of 98%. Results: During the two-year, 84 cases of child abuse have been referred to the centers. The mean age of the children was 8 years old. Most of the injuries were made during the past 2 to 5 days and caused by getting hit with a hard object. The most injuries were respectively bruises, scratches and burns. The most involved organs were respectively the upper limbs, face, the lower limbs, the trunk, and the head and neck. Most of the bruises and swells were on the face, head, and neck, most of the scratches and burns were on the upper limbs. Conclusion: The observed physical injuries in the present study were mostly consistent with the proven patterns of child abuse. Considering the flaws in recording the information, it is necessary to develop and apply standard forms using international protocols.