Battered Baby Syndrome: Diagnosis and Management

Battered baby syndrome (BBS) is a clinicopathological entity and a leading cause of disability and death in both children and infants. It is essential to recognize features and diagnose this in children presenting with trauma as 25–50% of these patients either die or become permanently injured within a year. The poor preventive mechanisms in developing nations are due to poor awareness. In this chapter, we present an overview of child abuse, its history, epidemiology, and clinical features. We have detailed the specific findings as per the currently available literature and evidence on how to suspect BBS. This chapter also details the imaging findings that are important to treating physicians. Head injury, as a component of BBS, is primarily responsible for the increased mortality and morbidity in these patients. Therefore, this chapter details the features, patterns of intracranial injuries, and neuroimaging findings in BBS. Finally, there are sections on management, prevention principles, and guidance for the future.