ABSTRACT
Burns, unlike bruises, often lead to permanentphysical scarring and disfigurement. ‘The stigma of the burn does not end when the child is removed from the home of the abusing parent or discharged from the hospital; it may persist for years’2
(105, 106). The hospital admission rate for abusive burns is
55%; this is twice as high as the admission rates for all other forms of child abuse3. Although burn units have dramatically improved the survival of burn victims with an overall survival of 99%, abusive burns continue to have high morbidity and mortality when compared to accidental burns. Thombs reviewed over 15,000 burn admissions (909 suspected of being abusive) and found that compared to children with accidental burns, children with abusive burns had larger total body surface area burned (13 versus 9.7%), required longer intensive care unit stays, and were two to three times more likely to die8. These children are also more likely to require skin grafting (107-111)(Table 3)9.
