아동학대로 진단된 환아의 임상적 고찰

Purpose : To promote awareness and efforts by pediatricians to identity and prevent child abuse by investigation of characteristics of victim and types of injury caused by abuse. Methods : A retrospective study was performed with 20 patients who had been diagnosed or suspected as child abuse at Hallym University Hospital from January 1999 to December 2005. The medical records, radiologic documents, and social worker's notes were reviewed to investigate age, sex, visiting time, form of abuse, perpetrator, risk factor, and type of injury. Results : The mean age of the subjects was 2.8 years. Fourteen patients were between 0-1 years old, 2 patients between 1-6 years old, 3 patients between 7-12 years old, and 1 case over 13 years old. The ratio of male to female was 1:1. The majority of these patients (70%) visited via emergency department. Eight five percent of these patients reported with physical abuse, 5% psychological abuse, 5% sexual abuse, and 5% neglect respectively. The suspected perpetrator was the biological father in six cases, the biological mother in three cases, the stepmother in two cases, caregiver in one case, relatives in one case and "unknown" in six cases. Bruise and hematoma (80%) were the most common physical findings. Skull fractures were diagnosed in six cases, long bone fractures in two cases, hemoperitoneum in two cases, subdural hemorrhage in 10 cases, epidural hemorrhages in two cases, subarachnoidal hemorrhages in two cases, and retinal hemorrhages in five cases respectively. Seventeen cases required hospitalization and surgical operations performed were in nine cases. Four patients died and three patients had sequalae such as developmental delay and quadriplegia. Conclusion : Child abuse results in high mortality and morbidity in victims. Therefore early recognition and prevention is very important. Pediatricians should always suspect the possibilities of abuse in cases of fracture, intracranial hemorrhage, abdominal injury, or even any injury to the body. We recommend that the clinical investigation of suspicious children should include a full multidisciplinary social assessment, a skeletal survey and CT or MRI. 목 적 : 아동학대는 학대받은 아동의 신체적, 정신적 장애를 초래할 뿐 아니라 아동학대의 피해자가 성인이 되어 또 다른 가해자가 되는 악순환을 초래하는 등 후유증이 크기 때문에 피해 아동들의 특징과 손상을 임상적으로 분석함으로써 소아과 의사로서 아동 학대의 심각성을 인식하고 조기 진단과 치료, 향후 예방을 위해 지속적으로 노력해야 할 필요성을 강조하고자 본 연구를 시행하였다. 방 법 : 1999년 1월부터 2005년 12월까지 한림대학교 성심병원에 내원하여 아동학대로 추정되거나 진단된 18세 미만 소아 환아 20명을 대상으로 하였다. 환아들의 의무 기록을 후향적으로 검